March 22, 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.
AKYAB BATTLE INTENSIFIES
(TN - Dacca) The Rangoon force, the last stragglers to reach Akyab from Rangoon, suffered a devastating bombing attack yesterday. 80 bombers escorted by 30 fighters focused their attack on the left flank of the defensive line, where the Rangoon force was stationed when they reached Akyab. P-40 fighters from Chadpur have been flying cover over the city, but there were only seven fighters on station at the time of the attack. The weight of the attack pushed the defenders aside and inflicted over 250 casualties among the Rangoon Force.
Southeast Asia air units launched their own air strikes against the Japanese positions. The attack consisted of 20 P-40E ground attack aircraft and 16 B-18A bombers. An examination of footage from the attack airplanes allowed Southeast Asia command to count the attack as a surprising success. The flight hit the Japanese defenders during breakfast and found several troop concentrations behind the line.
In spite of the success of the Japanese air attack, the Japanese did not press the advantage on the ground. They stood back and fired artillery at the defenders, failing to do any significant damage to the defenders.
Southeast Asia Air Force Protect Chinese Withdraw
The Japanese 33rd Division sought to pursue two Chinese divisions as they retreated through the jungle toward Imphal. Southeast Asia air units operating out of Imphal and Ledo flew in to intercept the enemy. The need to use the trails forced the Japanese to bunch up, making them vulnerable to strafing and bombing runs from the P40E fighters at Ledo -- refugees from the Philippine campaign. With the aid of the air units, the Chinese rear guard set a trap for the Japanese who were following them, ambushing one battalion in a tight valley and inflicting nearly 300 casualties. The rest of the Chinese divisions were able to withdraw in short order.
Japanese Clear Region Around Myitkyina
In a repeat of earlier operations, the Japanese moved to clear the Chinese divisions that had entered the hills northeast of the city. Four Chinese divisions had taken up position in the hills.
Dutch Expand Rescue Operations
(TN - Darwin) The Dutch Air Force expanded operations to rescue soldiers trapped on various islands around the Pacific. Air rescue operations have been set up in three locations. A squadron of C-60A Loadsters are working to rescue soldiers from Benjarmasin in Borneo. Catelinas at Lautem in Timor have orders to try to rescue Dutch units stranded at Pomala on the island of Sulawesi. Seaplanes will also be flying out of Darwin and Derby to bring units to Australia.
Many of these operations will be conducted under the nose of a much larger Japanese air force. The Catelinas from Lautem, for example, will be flying past the Japanese held port of Kendari to pick up Dutch units stranded a hundred miles further up the island.
North Pacific Force Prepares Advance to Kiska
(TN - Anchorage) On the Northern front, in Alaska, units are being readied to move forward and occupy the island of Kiska. Allied Command is seeking to exploit a line of islands that connect Anchorage to the Japanese home islands. Since the start of the war, Allied Command has reinforced the base of Dutch Harbor, and are building up a base at Adak Island further west. A base at Kiska will bring the Allied front 300 miles closer to the Japanese. Units are boarding at Anchorage and at Kodiak Island for the operation, which Northern Pacific command expects to complete by early April.
Operation to Occupy Howland Island Underway
(TN - Hawaii) The Troop Transport President Madison reached Baker Island yesterday and immediately started to load members of the First USMC Defensive Battalion for their trip to Howland Island to the North. Admiral Kimmel has said that he considers Baker Island too crowded for an effective defense and ordered that some of the soldiers and planes be disbursed to nearby islands.
Thayne News Campaign Reports
Moderators: wdolson, Don Bowen, mogami
POWELL USES BIG GUNS
March 23, 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.
POWELL USES BIG GUNS
(TN - Dacca) The British let loose its big guns in the Southeast Asia theater in a day of heavy combat. Experts report that the Japanese came out the winner in the attack.
Battleships Shell Akyab/
The Japanese first learned of the operation shortly after midnight. Five British battleships, Ramilles, Warspite, Resolution, Royal Sovereign, and Revenge lead the assault on the Japanese positions. Spotters on the shore helped to bring the naval artillery on to key targets. Explosions ripped through the Japanese positions along the hillside, focusing on areas that allowed the Japanese to look down on the allied positions. After an hour, the warships retired, leaving the hillsides a burning patch of ruins.
Heavy Bombers Struck Rangoon
British heavy bombers, which have avoided Rangoon since it beefed up its air defenses, sent 80 heavy high-level bombers against the city's air bases. According to sources inside Southeast Asia Command, Pownall was hoping that the heavy bomber raid would disrupt Japanese attacks against the bombardment task force. The unescorted bombers ran into a defensive force of three dozen Zero, Nate, and Oscar fighters.
In the battle that followed, the heavy bombers proved their ability to take damage and continue flying, and their ability to take on fighters over their target. The bombers took down four of the fighters and damaged several others. Over two dozen bombers were damaged in the assault. However, all but three were able to reach their targets. Bomb assessment photographs taken after the raid reveal another nine enemy planes destroyed on the ground, as well as damage to the airfield and support facilities.
British Battleship Fleet Blasted
In spite of the damage done to the Rangoon air fields, the Japanese were able to launch 60 Torpedo bombers against the British bombardment task force. Three of the five battleships, Resolution, Royal Sovereign, and Revenge each took two torpedo hits. In the afternoon, the Japanese came after the battle fleet with another strike with 20 torpedo bombers, putting four torpedoes into the Warspite. None of the four battleships were destroyed, but the assault on Akyab knocked the British fleet down from five battleships to one in an afternoon.
The Warspite is very heavily damaged and may be lost. As this issue of the Thayne News Campaign Reports went to press, the Warspite was less than 100 miles from Chadpur making 6 knots. Southeast Asia Command has emergency repair crews standing by at Chadpur to work against the flooding, but the heavy battleship was taking in a lot of water.
A sixth British battleship, the Prince of Wales, is still sitting at Columbo undergoing repairs from the torpedo hits it took in the opening days of the war near Singapore. Southeast Asia Command reports that all of the significant damage has been repaired, and the Prince of Wales can enter combat if it is needed.
Air defense units at Chadpur have also been put on alert to protect the fleet against any Japanese attempt to finish off the battleships. There are presently 70 fighters stationed at Chadpur, most of those belonging to the American Volunteer Group. Fighters stationed at Dacca to the east have also been ordered to help fly cover over Chadpur.
Summary
Military Intelligence reports that the British lost the use of 4 battleships for a period of three to five months. It also is reporting the loss of six heavy bombers. In exchange, the Japanese have suffered damage to the airfield at Rangoon, suffered the loss of 24 airplanes with half of those being Betty torpedo bombers, suffered temporary damage to the Rangoon airfield, and an estimated loss of 1000 soldiers. Akyab has held for yet another day.
At the same time, another British division entered Dacca. Replacement units are being assigned to the units of the Mandalay defensive group that have also reached Dacca. Combined, Dacca now has a defensive force of 60,000 soldiers.
Chinese Stand at Myitkyina
(TN - Dacca) The first Japanese assault to clear the hills northeast of Myitkyina of four Chinese division met with tough resistance. The Chinese report inflicting a significant number of casualties in the day-long battle. However, the 55th Chinese Division was forced to retreat out of its positions before dark. The retreat left three Chinese divisions still in place overlooking the city.
First Day of Dutch Retrieval Operations Successful
(TN - Darwin) The first day of operations to rescue Dutch soldiers from the eastern islands of the Dutch East Indies met with great success yesterday. Seaplanes brought back elements of the SE Borneo Garrison Battalion out of Borneo, and the 1st DAF Base Force from Sulawesi. Planes are also continuing to deliver officers from the ABDA headquarters to Derby, and survivors of the Molukken Garrison to Darwin.
Even though the soldiers have been pulled off of their bases in Japanese territory, many of them are still in the Dutch East Indies and are at risk of being overrun by the Japanese. General Thompson has also moved nearly 400 units forward to take care of the airplanes that are involved in the rescue operations.
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.
POWELL USES BIG GUNS
(TN - Dacca) The British let loose its big guns in the Southeast Asia theater in a day of heavy combat. Experts report that the Japanese came out the winner in the attack.
Battleships Shell Akyab/
The Japanese first learned of the operation shortly after midnight. Five British battleships, Ramilles, Warspite, Resolution, Royal Sovereign, and Revenge lead the assault on the Japanese positions. Spotters on the shore helped to bring the naval artillery on to key targets. Explosions ripped through the Japanese positions along the hillside, focusing on areas that allowed the Japanese to look down on the allied positions. After an hour, the warships retired, leaving the hillsides a burning patch of ruins.
Heavy Bombers Struck Rangoon
British heavy bombers, which have avoided Rangoon since it beefed up its air defenses, sent 80 heavy high-level bombers against the city's air bases. According to sources inside Southeast Asia Command, Pownall was hoping that the heavy bomber raid would disrupt Japanese attacks against the bombardment task force. The unescorted bombers ran into a defensive force of three dozen Zero, Nate, and Oscar fighters.
In the battle that followed, the heavy bombers proved their ability to take damage and continue flying, and their ability to take on fighters over their target. The bombers took down four of the fighters and damaged several others. Over two dozen bombers were damaged in the assault. However, all but three were able to reach their targets. Bomb assessment photographs taken after the raid reveal another nine enemy planes destroyed on the ground, as well as damage to the airfield and support facilities.
British Battleship Fleet Blasted
In spite of the damage done to the Rangoon air fields, the Japanese were able to launch 60 Torpedo bombers against the British bombardment task force. Three of the five battleships, Resolution, Royal Sovereign, and Revenge each took two torpedo hits. In the afternoon, the Japanese came after the battle fleet with another strike with 20 torpedo bombers, putting four torpedoes into the Warspite. None of the four battleships were destroyed, but the assault on Akyab knocked the British fleet down from five battleships to one in an afternoon.
The Warspite is very heavily damaged and may be lost. As this issue of the Thayne News Campaign Reports went to press, the Warspite was less than 100 miles from Chadpur making 6 knots. Southeast Asia Command has emergency repair crews standing by at Chadpur to work against the flooding, but the heavy battleship was taking in a lot of water.
A sixth British battleship, the Prince of Wales, is still sitting at Columbo undergoing repairs from the torpedo hits it took in the opening days of the war near Singapore. Southeast Asia Command reports that all of the significant damage has been repaired, and the Prince of Wales can enter combat if it is needed.
Air defense units at Chadpur have also been put on alert to protect the fleet against any Japanese attempt to finish off the battleships. There are presently 70 fighters stationed at Chadpur, most of those belonging to the American Volunteer Group. Fighters stationed at Dacca to the east have also been ordered to help fly cover over Chadpur.
Summary
Military Intelligence reports that the British lost the use of 4 battleships for a period of three to five months. It also is reporting the loss of six heavy bombers. In exchange, the Japanese have suffered damage to the airfield at Rangoon, suffered the loss of 24 airplanes with half of those being Betty torpedo bombers, suffered temporary damage to the Rangoon airfield, and an estimated loss of 1000 soldiers. Akyab has held for yet another day.
At the same time, another British division entered Dacca. Replacement units are being assigned to the units of the Mandalay defensive group that have also reached Dacca. Combined, Dacca now has a defensive force of 60,000 soldiers.
Chinese Stand at Myitkyina
(TN - Dacca) The first Japanese assault to clear the hills northeast of Myitkyina of four Chinese division met with tough resistance. The Chinese report inflicting a significant number of casualties in the day-long battle. However, the 55th Chinese Division was forced to retreat out of its positions before dark. The retreat left three Chinese divisions still in place overlooking the city.
First Day of Dutch Retrieval Operations Successful
(TN - Darwin) The first day of operations to rescue Dutch soldiers from the eastern islands of the Dutch East Indies met with great success yesterday. Seaplanes brought back elements of the SE Borneo Garrison Battalion out of Borneo, and the 1st DAF Base Force from Sulawesi. Planes are also continuing to deliver officers from the ABDA headquarters to Derby, and survivors of the Molukken Garrison to Darwin.
Even though the soldiers have been pulled off of their bases in Japanese territory, many of them are still in the Dutch East Indies and are at risk of being overrun by the Japanese. General Thompson has also moved nearly 400 units forward to take care of the airplanes that are involved in the rescue operations.
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Admiral DadMan
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RE: POWELL USES BIG GUNS
ORIGINAL: Thayne
March 23, 1942
British Battleship Fleet Blasted
In spite of the damage done to the Rangoon air fields, the Japanese were able to launch 60 Torpedo bombers against the British bombardment task force. Three of the five battleships, Resolution, Royal Sovereign, and Revenge each took two torpedo hits. In the afternoon, the Japanese came after the battle fleet with another strike with 20 torpedo bombers, putting four torpedoes into Warspite. None of the four battleships were destroyed, but the assault on Akyab knocked the British fleet down from five battleships to one in an afternoon.
Warspite is very heavily damaged and may be lost. As this issue of the Thayne News Campaign Reports went to press, Warspite was less than 100 miles from Chadpur making 6 knots. Southeast Asia Command has emergency repair crews standing by at Chadpur to work against the flooding, but the heavy battleship was taking in a lot of water.
Tsk, Tsk, Tsk. Battleship Admirals get an education. Old, slow battlewagons cannot venture into range of an Airdome and expect to live...
This is extremely well-written. Excellent prose, Thayne.
"You don't know the POWER of the Dark Side!"
RE: POWELL USES BIG GUNS
Seems like things are going good in some areas and bad in others, Thayne. Just about historical! However. is Kimmel wasting time and resources playing in the central Pacific? Someone needs to light a fire under him and get him him moving west!
Awesome job with the reporting. Worth every penny of my subscription![:D]
Awesome job with the reporting. Worth every penny of my subscription![:D]
You are what you do, when it counts.
JAPS LAND AT BUNA
March 24, 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.
JAPS LAND AT BUNA
(TN - Brisbane) Southwest Pacific Command reported today that Japanese forces have landed at Buna, on the northern side of New Guinea. As the crow flies, Buna is next door to the forward Australian base of New Guinea, and threatens the supply lines to Thursday Island. The attack force consisted of only 1500 men, but Southwest Pacific Command reports that they expect the Japanese to have no trouble controlling the city with these troops.
Officials at Southwest Pacific Command are most concerned about the ships that recently arrived at Port Moresby. Three days ago, a convoy of two freighters carrying 14,000 tons of supplies arrived at Port Moresby, escorted by four destroyers and the light cruisers Raleigh and Perth. The port is not large enough to handle the ships easily, so dock crews have only managed to unload about 1,000 tons per day. The crews will require another 10 days to unload the ships, while the Buna air field is expected to be operational in just two days.
In addition, there is now a threat of the Japanese landing divisions made available by victories in the Philippines and Java at Buna, and marching them over the hill to take Port Moresby. This is clearly the most significant threat that Australia has faced since the start of the war -- more serious, in fact, than the attacks at Darwin.
Recent events in the Indian ocean make it clear that it would be foolhardy for the Allies to try to support Port Moresby by sea so close to Japanese strongholds on the other side of the island. The Japanese were able to nearly obliterate a battleship task force off of Akyab, India. A supply convoy attempting to reach Port Moresby would almost certainly suffer the same fate.
General Thompson, the commander of the Southwest Pacific theater of operations, was locked in meetings throughout the day with his senior staff to discuss how to respond to the threat.
General Nimitz has suggested responding with a significant attack, and has offered the use of his carriers, once they complete a period of refit and maintenance.
Japs Torpedo Battleship at Chadpur
(TN - Dacca) A small air assault consisting of 19 Zero fighters and 4 Betty bombers broke through the defenses at Chadpur to deliver a torpedo to the already stricken battleship Resolution as it sat in Chadpur Harbor. Southeast Asia command had over 30 fighters in the air over the city at the time of the attack, but most of them were unable to respond quickly enough to the Japanese threat. Officials report that the Japanese did lose five Zero fighters and a Betty bomber to the combat air patrol, but one of the bombers was still able to deliver a torpedo, inflicting serious damage to the battleship.
Barring any further attacks, the port workers at Chadpur report that they will be able to control the flooding and get the ship back to safety for repairs. In light of the success of the recent Japanese raid, Pownall has ordered further increases in the air defenses over Chadpur.
The airplanes now protecting the battleships were the same air units that had been assigned to fly cover over the defenders at Akyab. With this defensive cover pulled away, the units at Akyab will be vulnerable to Japanese air assaults. According to officials at Southeast Asia Command, Pownall expects to counter this threat by focusing more of his own bombers on the Japanese attacking the city. "I've never tried to find out what a formation of heavy bombers could do to Japanese ground units," Pownall is reported to have said.
Darwin Attacked Again
(TN - Brisbane) Following a pattern quickly established, Japan attacked Darwin again with a small number of bombers with a huge fighter escort. Allied military strategists suggest that the purpose of the raids is to weaken the air defenses in expensive dogfights. "They are simply baiting our boys to go up into the air and die," said one official.
The dogfight over Darwin cost the Allies 11 airplanes, while the Japanese lost only one Zero fighter in the air dual.
Still, the air units at Darwin were able to keep the runways open for other air operations using the bases at Darwin. Transport airplanes continued to deliver supplies to Kai Island, and to bring back Dutch soldiers from distant bases.
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 LAND AT BUNA
(TN - Brisbane) Southwest Pacific Command reported today that Japanese forces have landed at Buna, on the northern side of New Guinea. As the crow flies, Buna is next door to the forward Australian base of New Guinea, and threatens the supply lines to Thursday Island. The attack force consisted of only 1500 men, but Southwest Pacific Command reports that they expect the Japanese to have no trouble controlling the city with these troops.
Officials at Southwest Pacific Command are most concerned about the ships that recently arrived at Port Moresby. Three days ago, a convoy of two freighters carrying 14,000 tons of supplies arrived at Port Moresby, escorted by four destroyers and the light cruisers Raleigh and Perth. The port is not large enough to handle the ships easily, so dock crews have only managed to unload about 1,000 tons per day. The crews will require another 10 days to unload the ships, while the Buna air field is expected to be operational in just two days.
In addition, there is now a threat of the Japanese landing divisions made available by victories in the Philippines and Java at Buna, and marching them over the hill to take Port Moresby. This is clearly the most significant threat that Australia has faced since the start of the war -- more serious, in fact, than the attacks at Darwin.
Recent events in the Indian ocean make it clear that it would be foolhardy for the Allies to try to support Port Moresby by sea so close to Japanese strongholds on the other side of the island. The Japanese were able to nearly obliterate a battleship task force off of Akyab, India. A supply convoy attempting to reach Port Moresby would almost certainly suffer the same fate.
General Thompson, the commander of the Southwest Pacific theater of operations, was locked in meetings throughout the day with his senior staff to discuss how to respond to the threat.
General Nimitz has suggested responding with a significant attack, and has offered the use of his carriers, once they complete a period of refit and maintenance.
Japs Torpedo Battleship at Chadpur
(TN - Dacca) A small air assault consisting of 19 Zero fighters and 4 Betty bombers broke through the defenses at Chadpur to deliver a torpedo to the already stricken battleship Resolution as it sat in Chadpur Harbor. Southeast Asia command had over 30 fighters in the air over the city at the time of the attack, but most of them were unable to respond quickly enough to the Japanese threat. Officials report that the Japanese did lose five Zero fighters and a Betty bomber to the combat air patrol, but one of the bombers was still able to deliver a torpedo, inflicting serious damage to the battleship.
Barring any further attacks, the port workers at Chadpur report that they will be able to control the flooding and get the ship back to safety for repairs. In light of the success of the recent Japanese raid, Pownall has ordered further increases in the air defenses over Chadpur.
The airplanes now protecting the battleships were the same air units that had been assigned to fly cover over the defenders at Akyab. With this defensive cover pulled away, the units at Akyab will be vulnerable to Japanese air assaults. According to officials at Southeast Asia Command, Pownall expects to counter this threat by focusing more of his own bombers on the Japanese attacking the city. "I've never tried to find out what a formation of heavy bombers could do to Japanese ground units," Pownall is reported to have said.
Darwin Attacked Again
(TN - Brisbane) Following a pattern quickly established, Japan attacked Darwin again with a small number of bombers with a huge fighter escort. Allied military strategists suggest that the purpose of the raids is to weaken the air defenses in expensive dogfights. "They are simply baiting our boys to go up into the air and die," said one official.
The dogfight over Darwin cost the Allies 11 airplanes, while the Japanese lost only one Zero fighter in the air dual.
Still, the air units at Darwin were able to keep the runways open for other air operations using the bases at Darwin. Transport airplanes continued to deliver supplies to Kai Island, and to bring back Dutch soldiers from distant bases.
AIR WAR FAVORS JAPAN
March 25, 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.
AIR WAR FAVORS JAPAN
(TN - Washington) In recent weeks, Japan has started to force control of the air away from the Allies. Until recently, a given week would give the Allies shooting down more airplanes than it lost. In the last week, the Japanese have been regularly destroying two planes for each one lost.
Most of these losses have come at Darwin, where regular fighter raids result in massive losses to allied fighters trying to defend the city. In yesterday's raid, 19 Japanese Zero fighters fought against 31 Australian and Dutch pilots. Four Japanese airplanes were shot, but took 11 Allied airplanes with them. A previous raid took out another 11 Allied airplanes at a loss of only one Japanese Zero.
With the loss of the Dutch East Indies to the Japanese, the ability to replace the Dutch pilots is nearly nonexistent. Several groups of Dutch air units were rescued from Java, however the groups themselves will soon become mere shells of squadrons due to the loss of pilots.
Akyab Situation Worsens
(TN - Dacca) Japanese bombers pounded allied defenses at Akyab yesterday as the balance of power shifted further in favor of the Japanese invaders. Sixty Japanese bombers inflicted nearly 150 casualties when they launched another strike against the Rangoon force, the right wing of the Allied defenders. General Pownall, commander of the Southeast Asia theater, had pulled away all of the air cover over the city to better protect the wounded battleships at Chadpur. Pownell tried to counter the Japanese advantage by sending allied bombers against the Japanese forces. However, bomb assessment photographs taken after the mission showed only moderate damage.
Military intelligence is also reporting evidence of additional troops heading toward Akyab. Evidence suggests that Japan still has a tank regiment moving through the hills from Pagan to Akyab. In addition, three unidentified units are moving up the trail from Rangoon. Military intelligence believes that these are base force units meant to establish a military airbase and naval port in the city once the British have been driven off.
Japanese capture of Akyab will give them a base a little over 200 miles from the key eastern India cities.
China Stands Up to Japan Division
(TN - Dacca) Three Chinese divisions on the outskirts of Myitkyina, Burma, has been surprisingly successful in resisting the Japanese 55th Division trying to push them away from the city. Not only have the Japanese failed to push the Chinese away from the city, the Chinese have been able to force the Japanese to pay a heavy price for even these minor gains.
In an earlier encounter, the Japanese quickly forced the Chinese army back. China is getting help in the battle by 50 bombers and fighters from Ledo in northern India, which has been contributing its power against the Japanese forces.
Military Intelligence reports that the Japanese 55th Division is probably suffering from a great deal of fatigue from over three months of heavy activity, including the capture of Rangoon and all of northern Burma. The 55th Division attempted to go from northern Burma to Akyab, India, then was called back into northern Burma to deal with three rogue Chinese divisions that marched through the region.
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.
AIR WAR FAVORS JAPAN
(TN - Washington) In recent weeks, Japan has started to force control of the air away from the Allies. Until recently, a given week would give the Allies shooting down more airplanes than it lost. In the last week, the Japanese have been regularly destroying two planes for each one lost.
Most of these losses have come at Darwin, where regular fighter raids result in massive losses to allied fighters trying to defend the city. In yesterday's raid, 19 Japanese Zero fighters fought against 31 Australian and Dutch pilots. Four Japanese airplanes were shot, but took 11 Allied airplanes with them. A previous raid took out another 11 Allied airplanes at a loss of only one Japanese Zero.
With the loss of the Dutch East Indies to the Japanese, the ability to replace the Dutch pilots is nearly nonexistent. Several groups of Dutch air units were rescued from Java, however the groups themselves will soon become mere shells of squadrons due to the loss of pilots.
Akyab Situation Worsens
(TN - Dacca) Japanese bombers pounded allied defenses at Akyab yesterday as the balance of power shifted further in favor of the Japanese invaders. Sixty Japanese bombers inflicted nearly 150 casualties when they launched another strike against the Rangoon force, the right wing of the Allied defenders. General Pownall, commander of the Southeast Asia theater, had pulled away all of the air cover over the city to better protect the wounded battleships at Chadpur. Pownell tried to counter the Japanese advantage by sending allied bombers against the Japanese forces. However, bomb assessment photographs taken after the mission showed only moderate damage.
Military intelligence is also reporting evidence of additional troops heading toward Akyab. Evidence suggests that Japan still has a tank regiment moving through the hills from Pagan to Akyab. In addition, three unidentified units are moving up the trail from Rangoon. Military intelligence believes that these are base force units meant to establish a military airbase and naval port in the city once the British have been driven off.
Japanese capture of Akyab will give them a base a little over 200 miles from the key eastern India cities.
China Stands Up to Japan Division
(TN - Dacca) Three Chinese divisions on the outskirts of Myitkyina, Burma, has been surprisingly successful in resisting the Japanese 55th Division trying to push them away from the city. Not only have the Japanese failed to push the Chinese away from the city, the Chinese have been able to force the Japanese to pay a heavy price for even these minor gains.
In an earlier encounter, the Japanese quickly forced the Chinese army back. China is getting help in the battle by 50 bombers and fighters from Ledo in northern India, which has been contributing its power against the Japanese forces.
Military Intelligence reports that the Japanese 55th Division is probably suffering from a great deal of fatigue from over three months of heavy activity, including the capture of Rangoon and all of northern Burma. The 55th Division attempted to go from northern Burma to Akyab, India, then was called back into northern Burma to deal with three rogue Chinese divisions that marched through the region.
2ND JAP DIVISION AT AKYAB
March 26, 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.
2ND JAP DIVISION AT AKYAB
(TN - Dacca) The 56th Japanese Division joined the fight at Akyab yesterday. The division spent the day getting into position while the Japanese 18th Division, the first division to reach the city, spent the day shelling Allied positions. The Japanese also launched another air strike against the defenders, again focusing its attack on the Rangoon Force on the allied right flank. The Rangoon Force, the last force to reach Akyab from Burma, has been almost the exclusive target of the Japanese bombers since it reached the city.
The Akyab defenders have continued to fight without air cover. General Pownall has ordered the fighters to stay over the port of Chadpur as workers fight to save four battleships damaged in an attempt to support Akyab. The Akyab/Rangoon Sea/Air Strike is now largely considered to be a total failure. A key assumption in that strike, that a significant heavy bomber attack on Rangoon could suppress Japanese torpedo bombers for a day, proved to be false. The Japanese ability to damage four battleships, and to force the withdraw of Allied air cover from Akyab, ultimately increased the Japanese advantage.
Japanese Clear Myitkyina Mountains
A late-afternoon Japanese assault forced three Chinese divisions out of the mountains northeast of Myitkyina, Burma yesterday. The Chinese were able to hold their position against the Japanese assaults for four days, and are believed to have inflicted significantly more casualties on the Japanese attackers than the took themselves. However, the better equipped Japanese force ultimately outgunned the Chinese army and forced the withdraw from the hillside.
Darwin Air Force Continues To Fade
(TN - Brisbane) Another Japanese sweep of Darwin resulted in another Japanese victory. Japan lost one Zero fighter and two Betty bombers in an attack that saw the elimination of another eight Allied fighters. The attack not only decimated the fighter cover over the city, but also included the largest bomber raid to date, with thirteen Betty bombers included in the attack. In the first raids against the city, Japan included only a token number of bombers. Allied military intelligence believes that the bombers were there to draw the allied fighters into a dogfight. As the allied fighter defense gets whittled down, Japan is adding an increasing number of bombers in the raids. Allies fear 100-plane raids soon to come, like those that Japan has launched against units in Sumatra, Borneo, and India.
The Allied air force in the region is continuing to withdraw Dutch forces from the Dutch East Indies. Transport airplanes operating out of Timor, Sumba, Derby, and Darwin have been working since the fall of Soerabaja to pick up remnants of Dutch military units and relay them back to Australia. Already, 600 soldiers have been pulled into Australia, and approximately 1000 more have made the trip as far as Timor and Sumba. These include important members of ABDA headquarters. These leaders are expected to form the core of a new Dutch army in exile in northern Australia which will eventually participate in missions to retake the Dutch East Indies and its resources from Japan.
Japan Invades Benjarmasin
One of the largest concentrations of Dutch army units remaining in the Dutch East Indies was a small army defending Benjarmasin on the island of Borneo. This force consists of units that were earlier forced from Tarakan, Samarinda, and Balikpapan. 500 soldiers had been airlifted from the city in the past week, but over 2000 soldiers were still left at the city. Allied forces had earlier mined the harbor, but the invasion force made it through the mines without any difficulty.
Southwest Pacific Command Suffers Shortage of Transport Aircraft
One of the major bottlenecks in General Thompson's plans in the southwest Pacific has been a shortage of air transport aircraft. In addition to the job of pulling units out of the Dutch East Indies, Southwest Pacific transport aircraft are also being used to supply the growing Allied base on Thursday Island. Thompson has also asked for additional transport aircraft in order to build a third forward base on Aru Island north of Darwin. The shortage of transport aircraft has become so severe that Thompson has ordered bombers to be used to transport supplies to the northern bases at Kai and Thursday Islands.
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.
2ND JAP DIVISION AT AKYAB
(TN - Dacca) The 56th Japanese Division joined the fight at Akyab yesterday. The division spent the day getting into position while the Japanese 18th Division, the first division to reach the city, spent the day shelling Allied positions. The Japanese also launched another air strike against the defenders, again focusing its attack on the Rangoon Force on the allied right flank. The Rangoon Force, the last force to reach Akyab from Burma, has been almost the exclusive target of the Japanese bombers since it reached the city.
The Akyab defenders have continued to fight without air cover. General Pownall has ordered the fighters to stay over the port of Chadpur as workers fight to save four battleships damaged in an attempt to support Akyab. The Akyab/Rangoon Sea/Air Strike is now largely considered to be a total failure. A key assumption in that strike, that a significant heavy bomber attack on Rangoon could suppress Japanese torpedo bombers for a day, proved to be false. The Japanese ability to damage four battleships, and to force the withdraw of Allied air cover from Akyab, ultimately increased the Japanese advantage.
Japanese Clear Myitkyina Mountains
A late-afternoon Japanese assault forced three Chinese divisions out of the mountains northeast of Myitkyina, Burma yesterday. The Chinese were able to hold their position against the Japanese assaults for four days, and are believed to have inflicted significantly more casualties on the Japanese attackers than the took themselves. However, the better equipped Japanese force ultimately outgunned the Chinese army and forced the withdraw from the hillside.
Darwin Air Force Continues To Fade
(TN - Brisbane) Another Japanese sweep of Darwin resulted in another Japanese victory. Japan lost one Zero fighter and two Betty bombers in an attack that saw the elimination of another eight Allied fighters. The attack not only decimated the fighter cover over the city, but also included the largest bomber raid to date, with thirteen Betty bombers included in the attack. In the first raids against the city, Japan included only a token number of bombers. Allied military intelligence believes that the bombers were there to draw the allied fighters into a dogfight. As the allied fighter defense gets whittled down, Japan is adding an increasing number of bombers in the raids. Allies fear 100-plane raids soon to come, like those that Japan has launched against units in Sumatra, Borneo, and India.
The Allied air force in the region is continuing to withdraw Dutch forces from the Dutch East Indies. Transport airplanes operating out of Timor, Sumba, Derby, and Darwin have been working since the fall of Soerabaja to pick up remnants of Dutch military units and relay them back to Australia. Already, 600 soldiers have been pulled into Australia, and approximately 1000 more have made the trip as far as Timor and Sumba. These include important members of ABDA headquarters. These leaders are expected to form the core of a new Dutch army in exile in northern Australia which will eventually participate in missions to retake the Dutch East Indies and its resources from Japan.
Japan Invades Benjarmasin
One of the largest concentrations of Dutch army units remaining in the Dutch East Indies was a small army defending Benjarmasin on the island of Borneo. This force consists of units that were earlier forced from Tarakan, Samarinda, and Balikpapan. 500 soldiers had been airlifted from the city in the past week, but over 2000 soldiers were still left at the city. Allied forces had earlier mined the harbor, but the invasion force made it through the mines without any difficulty.
Southwest Pacific Command Suffers Shortage of Transport Aircraft
One of the major bottlenecks in General Thompson's plans in the southwest Pacific has been a shortage of air transport aircraft. In addition to the job of pulling units out of the Dutch East Indies, Southwest Pacific transport aircraft are also being used to supply the growing Allied base on Thursday Island. Thompson has also asked for additional transport aircraft in order to build a third forward base on Aru Island north of Darwin. The shortage of transport aircraft has become so severe that Thompson has ordered bombers to be used to transport supplies to the northern bases at Kai and Thursday Islands.
US PUSHES ALEUTIAN FRONTIER
March 27, 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.
US PUSHES ALEUTIAN FRONTIER
(TN - Anchorage) Rear Admiral Theobold, commander of allied forces in the North Pacific, gave official clearance today for a task force to occupy Kiska Island. The occupation force consists of 8000 soldiers. The 4th USA Regimental Combat Team will set up to defend the encampment, while the 112th USN Base Force will prepare to support air and naval operations in the North Pacific.
The Kiska base will place US air and naval units within striking range of a chain of islands extending off of northern Japan. At least three northern Japanese bases sit within heavy bomber range of the island of Kiska. Submarine forces based at Kiska will be able to reach the northern portion of the Japanese mainland within days of leaving port. Allied Military Command has expressed hopes that pressure from the north will force the Japanese to move units into the region, weakening their defensive capability in other areas.
Allies Occupy Howland Island
(TN - Hawaii) Admiral Kimmel announced that soldiers belonging to the 1st USMC Defense Battalion began establishing defenses on Howland Island. The island is a part of the same group as Baker Island, which has become an important northern base for launching air strikes on the Japanese held Gilbert Islands. The Marines' first order of business will be to build an airbase on the island so that supplies can be flown up from Canton Island to the south, allowing the base to be supplied without risking allied shipping. With a steady flow of supplies assured, the Marines will then start building defensive structures to ward off a potential Japanese attack.
Howland Island has the advantage of sitting underneath the air umbrella established over Baker Island to the south. Over the past week, bombers from Baker Island have been making bombing runs against the Japanese held island of Tarawa. Allies have also placed mines around Tarawa to inhibit the Japanese ability to reinforce the island. Howland Island will actually shorten the flight distance to the key Japanese held islands.
Additional reinforcements are waiting on Palmyra Atoll for transport ships to become available to carry them to the island. Admiral Kimmel has ordered the 206th USA Coast AA Regiment to Howland Island as soon as transportation becomes available to protect from inevitable Japanese air attacks.
Australians Plan Dangerous Run to Thursday Island
(TN - Brisbane) At Cooktown, Australia, Southwest Pacific Command is preparing to make another run to deliver reinforcements and additional supplies to Thursday Island. General Thompson, commander of the Southwest Pacific Theater, has decided to make Thursday Island a major base of operations against the Japanese. He is seeking to build up the base as quickly as possible, and the new shipment will reinforce the units already on the island with engineers belong to the 808th Engineer Aviation Battalion.
To defend the transport ships, Thompson has ordered an escort of 10 additional ships from Brisbane, to join the escort of 7 ships the task force already has. When the two fleets combine, the troop transports will have an escort consisting of one light cruiser, 13 destroyers, and 3 minesweepers to protect against submarine attack.
A spokesperson at the Southwest Pacific Command headquarters said that it might take another week to get the various parts of the convoy together and to get the supplies loaded onto the ships.
Port Moresby Air Force Damages Jap Transport
An Australian Whirraway fighter bomber became the first Allied plane in over a week to deliver damage to a Japanese ship. The fighter bombers took off from Port Moresby late yesterday. They reported back that they successfully placed two bombs on a Japanese troop transport in the harbor. So far, the war has left Port Moresby alone. However, with the recent fall of both Java and the Philippines, Japan is expected to release units to expand its territory in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
Japan Pushes Advantage in the Dutch East Indies
(TN - Darwin) Japanese air and naval forces are working to take advantage of their recent victory in Java by securing the rest of the Dutch East Indies. Two days ago, a Japanese landing force took the port town of Sabang on the western tip of Sumatra. Yesterday, they took Padang, in the middle of the southern coast of the island. This leaves only the ports of Jambi, in north-central Sumatra, and Benkolen in southwestern Java, in allied control.
Japanese forces have also landed at Benjarmasen on the island of Borneo, and at Bali, a small island just east of Java. The Bali force is claiming to have almost no supplies left to hold off the Japanese attack. Benjarmasen is also reporting that it is very short on supplies.
Some people at Southwest Pacific Command have expressed a wish to use Allied troop transports to attack these enemy strongholds. However, General Thompson has refused, saying that his priority is to get units out, not to send units into, the Dutch East Indies.
Akyab Defenders Face 50,000 Japs
(TN - Dacca) Intelligence sources fighting in defense of Akyab are estimating that the defenders are facing nearly 50,000 Japanese soldiers. It is known that the Japanese now have two divisions facing the Allied defenders. The two Japanese attack divisions are the 56th and the 18th Divisions. Both units have suffered some exhaustion as a result of marching through the Burma jungle. However, the Akyab defenders also largely consists of units that escaped from Burma and are suffering from three months of hard physical labor. If Japan forces the units out of the city, the survivors have orders to retreat to Chadpur to help set up defenses against a Japanese attack on the city.
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.
US PUSHES ALEUTIAN FRONTIER
(TN - Anchorage) Rear Admiral Theobold, commander of allied forces in the North Pacific, gave official clearance today for a task force to occupy Kiska Island. The occupation force consists of 8000 soldiers. The 4th USA Regimental Combat Team will set up to defend the encampment, while the 112th USN Base Force will prepare to support air and naval operations in the North Pacific.
The Kiska base will place US air and naval units within striking range of a chain of islands extending off of northern Japan. At least three northern Japanese bases sit within heavy bomber range of the island of Kiska. Submarine forces based at Kiska will be able to reach the northern portion of the Japanese mainland within days of leaving port. Allied Military Command has expressed hopes that pressure from the north will force the Japanese to move units into the region, weakening their defensive capability in other areas.
Allies Occupy Howland Island
(TN - Hawaii) Admiral Kimmel announced that soldiers belonging to the 1st USMC Defense Battalion began establishing defenses on Howland Island. The island is a part of the same group as Baker Island, which has become an important northern base for launching air strikes on the Japanese held Gilbert Islands. The Marines' first order of business will be to build an airbase on the island so that supplies can be flown up from Canton Island to the south, allowing the base to be supplied without risking allied shipping. With a steady flow of supplies assured, the Marines will then start building defensive structures to ward off a potential Japanese attack.
Howland Island has the advantage of sitting underneath the air umbrella established over Baker Island to the south. Over the past week, bombers from Baker Island have been making bombing runs against the Japanese held island of Tarawa. Allies have also placed mines around Tarawa to inhibit the Japanese ability to reinforce the island. Howland Island will actually shorten the flight distance to the key Japanese held islands.
Additional reinforcements are waiting on Palmyra Atoll for transport ships to become available to carry them to the island. Admiral Kimmel has ordered the 206th USA Coast AA Regiment to Howland Island as soon as transportation becomes available to protect from inevitable Japanese air attacks.
Australians Plan Dangerous Run to Thursday Island
(TN - Brisbane) At Cooktown, Australia, Southwest Pacific Command is preparing to make another run to deliver reinforcements and additional supplies to Thursday Island. General Thompson, commander of the Southwest Pacific Theater, has decided to make Thursday Island a major base of operations against the Japanese. He is seeking to build up the base as quickly as possible, and the new shipment will reinforce the units already on the island with engineers belong to the 808th Engineer Aviation Battalion.
To defend the transport ships, Thompson has ordered an escort of 10 additional ships from Brisbane, to join the escort of 7 ships the task force already has. When the two fleets combine, the troop transports will have an escort consisting of one light cruiser, 13 destroyers, and 3 minesweepers to protect against submarine attack.
A spokesperson at the Southwest Pacific Command headquarters said that it might take another week to get the various parts of the convoy together and to get the supplies loaded onto the ships.
Port Moresby Air Force Damages Jap Transport
An Australian Whirraway fighter bomber became the first Allied plane in over a week to deliver damage to a Japanese ship. The fighter bombers took off from Port Moresby late yesterday. They reported back that they successfully placed two bombs on a Japanese troop transport in the harbor. So far, the war has left Port Moresby alone. However, with the recent fall of both Java and the Philippines, Japan is expected to release units to expand its territory in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
Japan Pushes Advantage in the Dutch East Indies
(TN - Darwin) Japanese air and naval forces are working to take advantage of their recent victory in Java by securing the rest of the Dutch East Indies. Two days ago, a Japanese landing force took the port town of Sabang on the western tip of Sumatra. Yesterday, they took Padang, in the middle of the southern coast of the island. This leaves only the ports of Jambi, in north-central Sumatra, and Benkolen in southwestern Java, in allied control.
Japanese forces have also landed at Benjarmasen on the island of Borneo, and at Bali, a small island just east of Java. The Bali force is claiming to have almost no supplies left to hold off the Japanese attack. Benjarmasen is also reporting that it is very short on supplies.
Some people at Southwest Pacific Command have expressed a wish to use Allied troop transports to attack these enemy strongholds. However, General Thompson has refused, saying that his priority is to get units out, not to send units into, the Dutch East Indies.
Akyab Defenders Face 50,000 Japs
(TN - Dacca) Intelligence sources fighting in defense of Akyab are estimating that the defenders are facing nearly 50,000 Japanese soldiers. It is known that the Japanese now have two divisions facing the Allied defenders. The two Japanese attack divisions are the 56th and the 18th Divisions. Both units have suffered some exhaustion as a result of marching through the Burma jungle. However, the Akyab defenders also largely consists of units that escaped from Burma and are suffering from three months of hard physical labor. If Japan forces the units out of the city, the survivors have orders to retreat to Chadpur to help set up defenses against a Japanese attack on the city.
DUTCH RESCUE: SPECIAL REPORT
March 28, 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.
DUTCH RESCUE: SPECIAL REPORT
(TN - Brisbane) Tuesday, March 24th, the day started early for Lieutenant Thom Snyder. At 3:00 in the morning, he ate and shared coffee with his copilot, Lieutenant Vince Goppal, and navigator Lieutenant William Vanderpool. They had already received their briefing. In twenty minutes, they would be taking off for a trip to the island of Borneo.
Snyder brought his airplane, a C-60A Lockheed Loadster, to the island on Saturday, three days before. He had been stationed in Darwin, and was spending his days flying supplies to the Kai Island. However, with the fall of Soerabaja, in Java, the ABDA high command had decided that they wanted to rescue as many soldiers as possible. He flew first to Timor, then to Sumba, bringing a plane full of mechanics and spare parts with him.
He had flown two missions out of the airbase already. This was to be his third. He took off early, well before dawn, so he could spend most of his time flying at night, when enemy eyes are least likely to see him. This mission would be like the others. He was going to make yet another flight to Banjarmasin, on the island of Borneo, to try to pick up some more Dutch soldiers trapped on the island.
A cargo plane is as good as dead if the Japanese should happen to spot him. He can neither out run nor out fight a Japanese fighter. Unlike the bombers, he has no guns for firing back at the enemy. He can hope to hide in a cloud bank, or hope that the enemy fighter finds a more tempting target, or he can prepare to hit the silk. Those were a crew's only options.
Snyder's mission was going to carry him into Japanese territory. Japan owned the ports of Macassar, Kendari, Balikpapan, and Soerabaja, and from each of these bases could launch planes to scout the Java Sea. Snyder would have to cross the Java Sea to get to the units he needed to rescue.
The cargo planes would take off one hour apart. Unlike bombers, which could protect each other in formation, cargo planes only attracted trouble, and felt it was best to attract trouble to only one plane at a time. Each transport plane flew alone.
The sound of the engines in the night air seemed like an injustice. One almost wants to apologize for disturbing the dark peace of the jungle. But, it was better to fly as much of the trip as possible in darkness. At 4:00 hours exactly, Snyder lifted his plane into the air.
It was still dark as they flew over islands of the eastern Dutch East Indies. As dawn broke, the airplane was over a vast expanse of water -- a huge sea that sat between three large Japanese bases. Makassar and Balikpapan were on their right. Both of them were almost certainly sending out search planes to protect the Japanese from a possible Allied task force. On their left, Japan was repairing the facilities at Soerabaja, and almost certainly flying missions from that base as well.
Lieutenant Vanderpool took his headphones off and stepped up next to the captain. "I just got a message from headquarters," he shouted over the roar of the engines. "Our target is under attack. The Japanese started landing last night."
Snyder's eyebrows shot up. "What are we supposed to do?"
"Headquarters has left it up to us. If we think it's too dangerous, we're can turn back."
Snyder looked past Vanderpool to Goppal, silently asking for a comment.
"If you were one of those soldiers down there, and he was up here, what would you want him to do?" Goppal asked.
Snyder nodded. "We're going on," Snyder told the navigator, who coded the message and relayed it back to headquarters.
They were able to spot Banjarmasin from the smoke. The airplane flew in from the south, over the harbor, where a half-dozen ships sat at anchor. Smaller boats carried soldiers from the ships to the shore west of the city. The southern section of the city itself was in flames. Smoke rose up over the jungle, and flowed over the airfield. Snyder kept his distance from the ships, and they did not fire on his plane.
Through the smoke, he found the airfield and landed. The Dutch army had loaded up a number of airplanes already, and had the procedure down to a science. Vanderpool opened the door. A dozen Dutch soldiers with equipment raced in from the side of the field and climbed onto the airplane. The transport was on the ground for only ten minutes, and did not even turn off its engine. With the crew safely loaded, Snyder pushed the throttle forward and returned his airplane to the air. Just over the top of the trees, he banked right and headed out over the water. Snyder figured that there were fewer Japanese eyes to spot his plane over the water than over land.
Just past breakfast time, Snyder brought his airplane down on the runway on the island of Sumba. He taxied his airplane to a stop, then helped his passengers unload their cargo. There would be no more flights to Banjarmasin today. All of the Dutch airplanes had agreed to finish their mission. Each one brought back from twelve to twenty Dutch soldiers. By the time maintenance was performed on the airplane, it would be dark and it would be too dangerous to land. Snyder and his crew would take off again in the morning, before dawn, to bring back another batch of soldiers.
Dawn broke. Below them, the greenish blue of the warm Java Sea contrasted with the dark green of the island of Borneo straight ahead. The sun came up, touching the wings of the airplane first, making them glow in the morning light. Snyder looked for clouds that would prevent the sunlight from reflecting off of the wings and down into the eyes of a Japanese spotter on a ship or island below.
Across the eastern portion of the Dutch East Indies and the northern part of Australia, nearly 30 cargo planes would take off to bring soldiers to the safety of northern Australia. Those flying to Pomalla and Bulla would fly within a hundred miles of major Japanese bases. They would land, pick up their cargo of soldiers, and return to Australia. Each soldier that left promised to return, and to bring the bulk of the Allied armies with them.
Japanese Submarine Sunk Near Townsend
A Japanese submarine attacked an Australian naval convoy east of Townville, Australia, and was sunk in turn. The convoy was heading up to Cooktown, where it was to join up with a transport task force to supplement the force on Thursday Island. The naval force contains nine destroyers. The task force was not specifically ordered to engage in anti-submarine duties. However, they were equipped and willing to take on the roll when the Japanese gave them an opportunity.
Depth charges dropped by the Ward were met with a large burst of air from below the ocean. While the destroyers Ward and Van Ghent searched the area for debris that would confirm a sinking, another Japanese torpedo went through the formation. The destroyers Alden and Morris are thought to have hit the second submarine as well. The ships were able to confirm only one sinking before being forced to continue on to its rendezvous at Cooktown.
Thurday Island Reinforcements Gather at Cooktown
The 10 Australian ships of Task Force 1145 are due to arrive at Cooktown in two days. There, they will rendezvous with Task Force 1107, a troop transport force loading supplies and the 808th Engineer Aviation Battalion. The transport convoy has already loaded the soldiers and nearly 300 tons of supply.
General Thompson, commander of the Southwest Pacific force, is concerned that the growing Japanese force along northern New Guinea will attack the support force with long range bombers out of Rabaul and Lae.
Japan Consolidates Holdings around Java, New Guinea
(TN - Brisbane) Since winning major victories in Java and the Philippines, Japan is moving to capture the smaller ports north of Australia. Japan has already taken Buna on New Guinea, as well as Sabang and Padang on the island of Sumatra. Japan has also landed forces at Bali, Benjarmasin on the island of Borneo, and Munda Point in the Solomon Islands.
In the face of the Japanese advance, Dutch air transport airplanes are continuing to bring Dutch army units out of Australia. Elements of six Dutch regiments have already reached Australia, and other units have reached the stopover islands of Sumba and Timor, waiting for a chance to make the last leg of their journey.
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 RESCUE: SPECIAL REPORT
(TN - Brisbane) Tuesday, March 24th, the day started early for Lieutenant Thom Snyder. At 3:00 in the morning, he ate and shared coffee with his copilot, Lieutenant Vince Goppal, and navigator Lieutenant William Vanderpool. They had already received their briefing. In twenty minutes, they would be taking off for a trip to the island of Borneo.
Snyder brought his airplane, a C-60A Lockheed Loadster, to the island on Saturday, three days before. He had been stationed in Darwin, and was spending his days flying supplies to the Kai Island. However, with the fall of Soerabaja, in Java, the ABDA high command had decided that they wanted to rescue as many soldiers as possible. He flew first to Timor, then to Sumba, bringing a plane full of mechanics and spare parts with him.
He had flown two missions out of the airbase already. This was to be his third. He took off early, well before dawn, so he could spend most of his time flying at night, when enemy eyes are least likely to see him. This mission would be like the others. He was going to make yet another flight to Banjarmasin, on the island of Borneo, to try to pick up some more Dutch soldiers trapped on the island.
A cargo plane is as good as dead if the Japanese should happen to spot him. He can neither out run nor out fight a Japanese fighter. Unlike the bombers, he has no guns for firing back at the enemy. He can hope to hide in a cloud bank, or hope that the enemy fighter finds a more tempting target, or he can prepare to hit the silk. Those were a crew's only options.
Snyder's mission was going to carry him into Japanese territory. Japan owned the ports of Macassar, Kendari, Balikpapan, and Soerabaja, and from each of these bases could launch planes to scout the Java Sea. Snyder would have to cross the Java Sea to get to the units he needed to rescue.
The cargo planes would take off one hour apart. Unlike bombers, which could protect each other in formation, cargo planes only attracted trouble, and felt it was best to attract trouble to only one plane at a time. Each transport plane flew alone.
The sound of the engines in the night air seemed like an injustice. One almost wants to apologize for disturbing the dark peace of the jungle. But, it was better to fly as much of the trip as possible in darkness. At 4:00 hours exactly, Snyder lifted his plane into the air.
It was still dark as they flew over islands of the eastern Dutch East Indies. As dawn broke, the airplane was over a vast expanse of water -- a huge sea that sat between three large Japanese bases. Makassar and Balikpapan were on their right. Both of them were almost certainly sending out search planes to protect the Japanese from a possible Allied task force. On their left, Japan was repairing the facilities at Soerabaja, and almost certainly flying missions from that base as well.
Lieutenant Vanderpool took his headphones off and stepped up next to the captain. "I just got a message from headquarters," he shouted over the roar of the engines. "Our target is under attack. The Japanese started landing last night."
Snyder's eyebrows shot up. "What are we supposed to do?"
"Headquarters has left it up to us. If we think it's too dangerous, we're can turn back."
Snyder looked past Vanderpool to Goppal, silently asking for a comment.
"If you were one of those soldiers down there, and he was up here, what would you want him to do?" Goppal asked.
Snyder nodded. "We're going on," Snyder told the navigator, who coded the message and relayed it back to headquarters.
They were able to spot Banjarmasin from the smoke. The airplane flew in from the south, over the harbor, where a half-dozen ships sat at anchor. Smaller boats carried soldiers from the ships to the shore west of the city. The southern section of the city itself was in flames. Smoke rose up over the jungle, and flowed over the airfield. Snyder kept his distance from the ships, and they did not fire on his plane.
Through the smoke, he found the airfield and landed. The Dutch army had loaded up a number of airplanes already, and had the procedure down to a science. Vanderpool opened the door. A dozen Dutch soldiers with equipment raced in from the side of the field and climbed onto the airplane. The transport was on the ground for only ten minutes, and did not even turn off its engine. With the crew safely loaded, Snyder pushed the throttle forward and returned his airplane to the air. Just over the top of the trees, he banked right and headed out over the water. Snyder figured that there were fewer Japanese eyes to spot his plane over the water than over land.
Just past breakfast time, Snyder brought his airplane down on the runway on the island of Sumba. He taxied his airplane to a stop, then helped his passengers unload their cargo. There would be no more flights to Banjarmasin today. All of the Dutch airplanes had agreed to finish their mission. Each one brought back from twelve to twenty Dutch soldiers. By the time maintenance was performed on the airplane, it would be dark and it would be too dangerous to land. Snyder and his crew would take off again in the morning, before dawn, to bring back another batch of soldiers.
Dawn broke. Below them, the greenish blue of the warm Java Sea contrasted with the dark green of the island of Borneo straight ahead. The sun came up, touching the wings of the airplane first, making them glow in the morning light. Snyder looked for clouds that would prevent the sunlight from reflecting off of the wings and down into the eyes of a Japanese spotter on a ship or island below.
Across the eastern portion of the Dutch East Indies and the northern part of Australia, nearly 30 cargo planes would take off to bring soldiers to the safety of northern Australia. Those flying to Pomalla and Bulla would fly within a hundred miles of major Japanese bases. They would land, pick up their cargo of soldiers, and return to Australia. Each soldier that left promised to return, and to bring the bulk of the Allied armies with them.
Japanese Submarine Sunk Near Townsend
A Japanese submarine attacked an Australian naval convoy east of Townville, Australia, and was sunk in turn. The convoy was heading up to Cooktown, where it was to join up with a transport task force to supplement the force on Thursday Island. The naval force contains nine destroyers. The task force was not specifically ordered to engage in anti-submarine duties. However, they were equipped and willing to take on the roll when the Japanese gave them an opportunity.
Depth charges dropped by the Ward were met with a large burst of air from below the ocean. While the destroyers Ward and Van Ghent searched the area for debris that would confirm a sinking, another Japanese torpedo went through the formation. The destroyers Alden and Morris are thought to have hit the second submarine as well. The ships were able to confirm only one sinking before being forced to continue on to its rendezvous at Cooktown.
Thurday Island Reinforcements Gather at Cooktown
The 10 Australian ships of Task Force 1145 are due to arrive at Cooktown in two days. There, they will rendezvous with Task Force 1107, a troop transport force loading supplies and the 808th Engineer Aviation Battalion. The transport convoy has already loaded the soldiers and nearly 300 tons of supply.
General Thompson, commander of the Southwest Pacific force, is concerned that the growing Japanese force along northern New Guinea will attack the support force with long range bombers out of Rabaul and Lae.
Japan Consolidates Holdings around Java, New Guinea
(TN - Brisbane) Since winning major victories in Java and the Philippines, Japan is moving to capture the smaller ports north of Australia. Japan has already taken Buna on New Guinea, as well as Sabang and Padang on the island of Sumatra. Japan has also landed forces at Bali, Benjarmasin on the island of Borneo, and Munda Point in the Solomon Islands.
In the face of the Japanese advance, Dutch air transport airplanes are continuing to bring Dutch army units out of Australia. Elements of six Dutch regiments have already reached Australia, and other units have reached the stopover islands of Sumba and Timor, waiting for a chance to make the last leg of their journey.
JAPS CONVERGE ON AKYAB
March 29, 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.
JAPS CONVERGE ON AKYAB
(TN - Dacca) Military Intelligence reports that it has received information on six Japanese military units converging on Akyab in eastern India.
Akyab has been the scene of some of the fiercest fighting of the war, where 15,000 soldiers under British command has been fighting nearly 50,000 Japanese troops in two divisions. Two allied ships sit at the bottom of the ocean off of Akyab, and over 200 airplanes have been shot down over its skies. For the past two months, Akyab has witnessed bombing attacks involving dozens of planes flying from both Japanese bases such as Rangoon, and Allied bases such as Chadpur and Dacca. Approximately half of the bombs that the Allies have dropped in the Southeast Asia theater of operations have been dropped in support of the defenders at Akyab. Pownall's recent attempt to aid the defenders at Akyab resulted in severe damage to four British battleships.
Akyab is surrounded by jungle on all sides, requiring military units to march through miles of dense jungle to get to the fight. Its isolation makes Akyab practically an island between India and Rangoon. Whoever controls Akyab will have a buffer between the enemy and key facilities further back. For the Allies, Akyab protects the major ports of Diamond Harbor and Chadpur, as well as the strategically vital cities of Calcutta and Dacca. For the Japanese, Akyab threatens Rangoon, which it must keep open in order to ship supplies from the rest of Burma to the resource starved factories on the Japanese home islands.
Military Intelligence is working on determining the composition of these reinforcements. They have already determined that the Japanese are sending in a tank battalion from Pagan, and that this unit should be reaching Akyab shortly. They suspect that the remaining units include artillery and anti-aircraft units, as well as engineers to build up the bases once the Japanese capture them, and base forces to use the facilities that the engineers repair.
General Pownall has already stated that he will not reinforce at Akyab. Instead, he has already ordered key units to retreat from the region toward Dacca, while rear-guard units protect the withdraw from the two Japanese divisions already in the city, citing the difficulties involved in supplying an isolated base under the Japanese air umbrella.
Japan Captures Banjarmasin, Munda Point
(TN - Darwin) Japanese forces forced the defenders of Banjarmasin out of the city and into the jungle yesterday. The attack gave the Japanese control of the air fields, which will make it impossible for the Dutch air force to pull any more soldiers off of the besieged island. Pickets for the Dutch army have signed a second Japanese force moving south form Balikpapan. This means that the Dutch army is virtually surrounded, with no supplies, ammunition, or medicine. ABDA Command, which is presently in the process of relocating to Darwin, Australia, expects that the 1500 survivors of the Borneo army will surrender to the Japanese.
Further east, in the Solomon Islands, the Japanese continue to push south, taking control of the port of Munda. The Japanese movement brings their advance one step closer to the Allied line, presently being established on the island of Mindi. A small collection of islands, still under Australian control, lie in the no-man's-land between the forward bases of both armies. These include Rennel Island, Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Russell Island.
Engineers Seek Fix for B-17 Design Flaw
(TN - Seattle) Boeing engineers believe that they have found a way to remove the problem that has been preventing B-17 bombers from safely flying over 32,000 feet. Allied pilots discovered the design flaw in missions over Rangoon earlier in the year, causing Allied Military Command to impose a flight ceiling for the planes of 32,000 feet. This meant that the bombers, which would otherwise have the capacity to fly above Japanese Zero and Nate fighters, were unable to utilize this advantage. Boeing is quickly building and shipping out maintenance kits to various front-line bomber units, mostly in India, and expect them to be once again flying at their maximum altitude within a month.
These changes are expected to accompany a number of new Allied Military refits and doctrine changes that will become effective over the past month. Other changes will include an expanded ability for destroyer and submarine tenders to load torpedoes onto allied ships at forward bases, and a new doctrine governing the use of level bombers against enemy ground combat units. Allied Military Command is still working out some of the details of these new procedures, and will be sending out briefing material and operations manuals to forward commanders in the next month.
Admiral Patch, who is in charge of reviewing these procedural changes, announced that he expects these new procedures to be fully implemented by May 1st.
Admiral Patch is continuing to face criticism over his decision earlier to have submarines adopt a more cautious attitude when attacking Japanese shipping. Concerned with the high rate of losses, Patch announced a new Allied submarine doctrine earlier in the year, telling submarine commanders that it is better for them to bring their ship back to fight another day, than allow the Japanese to send it to the bottom of the ocean. Since then, allied damage inflicted on Japanese shipping has dropped significantly. Admiral Patch has faced significant pressure to change the doctrine, but has so far stood firm against this opposition.
Damage Sidelines Allied Fleet
(TN - Denver) The Japanese may have sunk very few ships, but they have put a powerful force into port for repairs. A task force consisting of ships presently undergoing repair in various Allied ports would have a light carrier, 8 battleships, 1 battle cruiser, 2 heavy cruisers, 3 light cruisers, 2 destroyers, and 4 submarines. This force would be a serious threat to any front-line Japanese port. Instead, this force is sitting in dry dock where crews patch the holes that the Japanese have punched into them.
This list does not include the battleships Nevada and Maryland, which were damaged at Pearl Harbor but are now nearly ready to rejoin the fight. Nor does it include the Oklahoma and California, which were also damaged at Pearl Harbor and has already rejoined the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor.
By far the biggest threat to the Allied navy has been the Japanese Nell and Betty bombers. These bombers have the ability to carry torpedoes great distances, and launch them with great accuracy. As General Pownall demonstrated in a recent attempt to bombard Japanese units at Akyab, attempts to approach Japanese held forward bases can expect to suffer a great deal of damage from these airplanes.
If the Allies try to protect their naval forces with air cover provided by aircraft carriers, the Japanese have their Zero fighter to throw into the fight, and the carriers become magnets for the Japanese torpedo bombers instead of the battleships.
Allied commanders are attempting to counter the Japanese superiority in these areas by establishing unsinkable aircraft carriers in key parts of the Pacific. In places such as Adak, Wake Island, Howland, Baker Island, Nanomea Atoll, Ndini, Thursday Island, and Kai Island, Allied soldiers are setting up bases that are immune to the effects of Japanese torpedoes. A convoy that recently departed Kodiak Island will add the island of Kiska to this ring of unsinkable aircraft carriers.
The Allies have two other operations in process to reinforce this Pacific Wall. A onvoy will soon be landing the America1 division and the 31st Naval Base Force at Ndimi in the South Pacific, and a convoy will leave Cooktown, Australia within a week to reinforce the base on Thursday Island in the Southwest Pacific. General Thompson, commander of the Southwest Pacific forces, is still developing plans to occupy Aru Island north of Darwin, as soon as he has transport planes available.
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 CONVERGE ON AKYAB
(TN - Dacca) Military Intelligence reports that it has received information on six Japanese military units converging on Akyab in eastern India.
Akyab has been the scene of some of the fiercest fighting of the war, where 15,000 soldiers under British command has been fighting nearly 50,000 Japanese troops in two divisions. Two allied ships sit at the bottom of the ocean off of Akyab, and over 200 airplanes have been shot down over its skies. For the past two months, Akyab has witnessed bombing attacks involving dozens of planes flying from both Japanese bases such as Rangoon, and Allied bases such as Chadpur and Dacca. Approximately half of the bombs that the Allies have dropped in the Southeast Asia theater of operations have been dropped in support of the defenders at Akyab. Pownall's recent attempt to aid the defenders at Akyab resulted in severe damage to four British battleships.
Akyab is surrounded by jungle on all sides, requiring military units to march through miles of dense jungle to get to the fight. Its isolation makes Akyab practically an island between India and Rangoon. Whoever controls Akyab will have a buffer between the enemy and key facilities further back. For the Allies, Akyab protects the major ports of Diamond Harbor and Chadpur, as well as the strategically vital cities of Calcutta and Dacca. For the Japanese, Akyab threatens Rangoon, which it must keep open in order to ship supplies from the rest of Burma to the resource starved factories on the Japanese home islands.
Military Intelligence is working on determining the composition of these reinforcements. They have already determined that the Japanese are sending in a tank battalion from Pagan, and that this unit should be reaching Akyab shortly. They suspect that the remaining units include artillery and anti-aircraft units, as well as engineers to build up the bases once the Japanese capture them, and base forces to use the facilities that the engineers repair.
General Pownall has already stated that he will not reinforce at Akyab. Instead, he has already ordered key units to retreat from the region toward Dacca, while rear-guard units protect the withdraw from the two Japanese divisions already in the city, citing the difficulties involved in supplying an isolated base under the Japanese air umbrella.
Japan Captures Banjarmasin, Munda Point
(TN - Darwin) Japanese forces forced the defenders of Banjarmasin out of the city and into the jungle yesterday. The attack gave the Japanese control of the air fields, which will make it impossible for the Dutch air force to pull any more soldiers off of the besieged island. Pickets for the Dutch army have signed a second Japanese force moving south form Balikpapan. This means that the Dutch army is virtually surrounded, with no supplies, ammunition, or medicine. ABDA Command, which is presently in the process of relocating to Darwin, Australia, expects that the 1500 survivors of the Borneo army will surrender to the Japanese.
Further east, in the Solomon Islands, the Japanese continue to push south, taking control of the port of Munda. The Japanese movement brings their advance one step closer to the Allied line, presently being established on the island of Mindi. A small collection of islands, still under Australian control, lie in the no-man's-land between the forward bases of both armies. These include Rennel Island, Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Russell Island.
Engineers Seek Fix for B-17 Design Flaw
(TN - Seattle) Boeing engineers believe that they have found a way to remove the problem that has been preventing B-17 bombers from safely flying over 32,000 feet. Allied pilots discovered the design flaw in missions over Rangoon earlier in the year, causing Allied Military Command to impose a flight ceiling for the planes of 32,000 feet. This meant that the bombers, which would otherwise have the capacity to fly above Japanese Zero and Nate fighters, were unable to utilize this advantage. Boeing is quickly building and shipping out maintenance kits to various front-line bomber units, mostly in India, and expect them to be once again flying at their maximum altitude within a month.
These changes are expected to accompany a number of new Allied Military refits and doctrine changes that will become effective over the past month. Other changes will include an expanded ability for destroyer and submarine tenders to load torpedoes onto allied ships at forward bases, and a new doctrine governing the use of level bombers against enemy ground combat units. Allied Military Command is still working out some of the details of these new procedures, and will be sending out briefing material and operations manuals to forward commanders in the next month.
Admiral Patch, who is in charge of reviewing these procedural changes, announced that he expects these new procedures to be fully implemented by May 1st.
Admiral Patch is continuing to face criticism over his decision earlier to have submarines adopt a more cautious attitude when attacking Japanese shipping. Concerned with the high rate of losses, Patch announced a new Allied submarine doctrine earlier in the year, telling submarine commanders that it is better for them to bring their ship back to fight another day, than allow the Japanese to send it to the bottom of the ocean. Since then, allied damage inflicted on Japanese shipping has dropped significantly. Admiral Patch has faced significant pressure to change the doctrine, but has so far stood firm against this opposition.
Damage Sidelines Allied Fleet
(TN - Denver) The Japanese may have sunk very few ships, but they have put a powerful force into port for repairs. A task force consisting of ships presently undergoing repair in various Allied ports would have a light carrier, 8 battleships, 1 battle cruiser, 2 heavy cruisers, 3 light cruisers, 2 destroyers, and 4 submarines. This force would be a serious threat to any front-line Japanese port. Instead, this force is sitting in dry dock where crews patch the holes that the Japanese have punched into them.
This list does not include the battleships Nevada and Maryland, which were damaged at Pearl Harbor but are now nearly ready to rejoin the fight. Nor does it include the Oklahoma and California, which were also damaged at Pearl Harbor and has already rejoined the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor.
By far the biggest threat to the Allied navy has been the Japanese Nell and Betty bombers. These bombers have the ability to carry torpedoes great distances, and launch them with great accuracy. As General Pownall demonstrated in a recent attempt to bombard Japanese units at Akyab, attempts to approach Japanese held forward bases can expect to suffer a great deal of damage from these airplanes.
If the Allies try to protect their naval forces with air cover provided by aircraft carriers, the Japanese have their Zero fighter to throw into the fight, and the carriers become magnets for the Japanese torpedo bombers instead of the battleships.
Allied commanders are attempting to counter the Japanese superiority in these areas by establishing unsinkable aircraft carriers in key parts of the Pacific. In places such as Adak, Wake Island, Howland, Baker Island, Nanomea Atoll, Ndini, Thursday Island, and Kai Island, Allied soldiers are setting up bases that are immune to the effects of Japanese torpedoes. A convoy that recently departed Kodiak Island will add the island of Kiska to this ring of unsinkable aircraft carriers.
The Allies have two other operations in process to reinforce this Pacific Wall. A onvoy will soon be landing the America1 division and the 31st Naval Base Force at Ndimi in the South Pacific, and a convoy will leave Cooktown, Australia within a week to reinforce the base on Thursday Island in the Southwest Pacific. General Thompson, commander of the Southwest Pacific forces, is still developing plans to occupy Aru Island north of Darwin, as soon as he has transport planes available.
JAPAN CONTROLS BALI
March 30, 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.
JAPAN CONTROLS BALI
(TN - Darwin) 2,500 Dutch soldiers holding the island of Bali surrendered to the Japanese yesterday, giving the enemy control of another key port and airfield in the region. Bali sits only 350 miles west of Waingapu, on the island of Sumba, which the Dutch Air Force has been using as a gathering place for the forces it rescues from the Dutch Islands.
With the loss of Bali, General Stuyvescent ordered the transport aircraft involved in the Dutch Rescue to retreat from the theater, and to focus on carrying those units already brought to eastern Java the rest of the way to Darwin.
By the time the rescue operation is completed, Allied Command is predicting that they will have hauled 1500 Dutch soldiers off of the islands. This is not considered a significant force, but Allied Command expects that Dutch soldiers will continue to find their way off of the islands to reach northern Australia, and they can be added to Dutch military units.
Port Moresby Air Force Attacks Japanese Shipping
(TN - Brisbane) Australian air units stationed at Brisbane found a fleet of Japanese troop transports north of New Guinea yesterday and launched an attack against it. The attack, executed by four Hudson bombers and over a dozen Whirraway fighter bombers recorded four troop transport ships in the task force heading towards Buna. They delivered two bombs to one of the transports, setting fires deep inside the ship, and reported one bomb hit against a second transport. Allied military intelligence reports that they think the task force is aiming to take more of the ports southeast of Buna, further isolating Port Moresby and threatening the supply lines to Thursday Island.
Military Experts Anticipate Loss of Akyab
(TN - Dacca) Akyab, India, remains the hot spot of the war as 13,000 British soldiers fight an attacking force of 40,000 Japanese for control of the city.
Akyab sits on an island at the mouth of the Kaladan River. The river provides access into the jungle, where there are several trading villages as well as a few plantations and small farms. Trade here is slight, and the port is just large enough to deal with coastal barges that travel from Akyab to Chadpur further east.
The area is nothing but low lying swamp, making both attack and defense of the region extremely difficult. Armies largely move as small groups that set up watch posts along the trails. Between one trail and the next, there is often a wide gap in the lines. The Japanese often take advantage of these gaps to send squads through the allied lines and into the rear area. Command posts in Akyab have faced more than one raid by Japanese suicide squads suddenly emerging from the jungle.
The British forces originally set up their defenses by taking advantage of the Leinro River, a south-flowing river about 15 miles east of Akyab itself. The line stretched from Kangow to the east, held by the Rangoon brigade and the sight of the most severe fighting, north through Sambate, and then up along the river into the hills. The British force built a number of rafts and barges that they use to ferry reinforcements up and down the line, in order to meet any Japanese attack.
The British forces managed to hold this line until the stragglers that had been marching out of Rangoon reached Kangow. Then, growing Japanese pressure forced the British off of the Leinro Rover, back to the Kaladan River. There, the British set up the same sort of defensive line, using barges along the river to support an army set up just beyond the river.
This defensive line includes the city of Akyab itself, which sits as the right anchor to the defensive line. The Rangoon Force has been set up in Akyab to defend the far right flank. The Japanese have subjected the city to intense air bombardment, inflicting significant casualties on the Rangoon Force, as well as destroying stockpiles of food, medicine, and ammunition kept in the city.
Meanwhile, the Japanese 56th Division, newly arrived, is putting pressure on the left flank of the British line, at a town called Apaukwa. If Apaukwa falls, there is a chance that the British units to the right could be cut off. General Pownall, commander of the Southeast Asia theater of operations, has ordered the construction of rafts and coastal barges at Akyab, allowing the defenders of the city a chance to escape if a Japanese breakthrough at Apaukwa looks likely. Pownall has ordered that the larger guns and supply units be moved out of the city in advance, and set up Alethangow, approximately 20 miles up the coast, where they cannot be cut off. Alethangow is also meant to serve as a reserve supply base.
While Japanese air units have focused their attack on the British units at Akyab itself, the British have been devoting their strength to blunting the Japanese pressure at Apaukwa. Each day one can expect to find 50 Japanese bombers flying over Akyab, while between 20 to 50 British bombers are flying over the Japanese line at Apaukwa.
The Thayne News Network contacted Dr. Gaschk, of the Gaschk School of Fighting, to ask for an assessment of the situation at Akyab. After reviewing documents and reports provided to Thayne News by the War Department and Allied Command, as well as the first hand reports of Thayne News reporters in the field, Dr. Gaschk reported that he expects Akyab to fall into Japanese hands within the next few days. "The Japanese have mustered the 3 to 1 advantage typically considered necessary for a successful attack. They have a 15 to 1 superiority in guns, are concentrating their air force on the region, and have better access to supply. I think they can take the city within a week."
Japan Invades Sandakan, Toboali
(TN - Darwin) Japan's drive to take control of the small ports remaining in the Dutch East Indies has resulted in new landings at Sandakari and Toboali. Sandakari is on the northern coast of Borneo, near the Philippines, and has been effectively isolated since early in the war. Over the past several months, it has served as a refueling station for Allied submarines patrolling the South China Sea and the waters of the Philippines itself.
Toboali sits on an island between Borneo, Java, and Sumatra, and has the potential to control access into and out of the Java Sea. Allied forces mined the port in the early days of the war, but Japanese forces were able to successfully avoid the mines in launching their attack on the island.
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.
JAPAN CONTROLS BALI
(TN - Darwin) 2,500 Dutch soldiers holding the island of Bali surrendered to the Japanese yesterday, giving the enemy control of another key port and airfield in the region. Bali sits only 350 miles west of Waingapu, on the island of Sumba, which the Dutch Air Force has been using as a gathering place for the forces it rescues from the Dutch Islands.
With the loss of Bali, General Stuyvescent ordered the transport aircraft involved in the Dutch Rescue to retreat from the theater, and to focus on carrying those units already brought to eastern Java the rest of the way to Darwin.
By the time the rescue operation is completed, Allied Command is predicting that they will have hauled 1500 Dutch soldiers off of the islands. This is not considered a significant force, but Allied Command expects that Dutch soldiers will continue to find their way off of the islands to reach northern Australia, and they can be added to Dutch military units.
Port Moresby Air Force Attacks Japanese Shipping
(TN - Brisbane) Australian air units stationed at Brisbane found a fleet of Japanese troop transports north of New Guinea yesterday and launched an attack against it. The attack, executed by four Hudson bombers and over a dozen Whirraway fighter bombers recorded four troop transport ships in the task force heading towards Buna. They delivered two bombs to one of the transports, setting fires deep inside the ship, and reported one bomb hit against a second transport. Allied military intelligence reports that they think the task force is aiming to take more of the ports southeast of Buna, further isolating Port Moresby and threatening the supply lines to Thursday Island.
Military Experts Anticipate Loss of Akyab
(TN - Dacca) Akyab, India, remains the hot spot of the war as 13,000 British soldiers fight an attacking force of 40,000 Japanese for control of the city.
Akyab sits on an island at the mouth of the Kaladan River. The river provides access into the jungle, where there are several trading villages as well as a few plantations and small farms. Trade here is slight, and the port is just large enough to deal with coastal barges that travel from Akyab to Chadpur further east.
The area is nothing but low lying swamp, making both attack and defense of the region extremely difficult. Armies largely move as small groups that set up watch posts along the trails. Between one trail and the next, there is often a wide gap in the lines. The Japanese often take advantage of these gaps to send squads through the allied lines and into the rear area. Command posts in Akyab have faced more than one raid by Japanese suicide squads suddenly emerging from the jungle.
The British forces originally set up their defenses by taking advantage of the Leinro River, a south-flowing river about 15 miles east of Akyab itself. The line stretched from Kangow to the east, held by the Rangoon brigade and the sight of the most severe fighting, north through Sambate, and then up along the river into the hills. The British force built a number of rafts and barges that they use to ferry reinforcements up and down the line, in order to meet any Japanese attack.
The British forces managed to hold this line until the stragglers that had been marching out of Rangoon reached Kangow. Then, growing Japanese pressure forced the British off of the Leinro Rover, back to the Kaladan River. There, the British set up the same sort of defensive line, using barges along the river to support an army set up just beyond the river.
This defensive line includes the city of Akyab itself, which sits as the right anchor to the defensive line. The Rangoon Force has been set up in Akyab to defend the far right flank. The Japanese have subjected the city to intense air bombardment, inflicting significant casualties on the Rangoon Force, as well as destroying stockpiles of food, medicine, and ammunition kept in the city.
Meanwhile, the Japanese 56th Division, newly arrived, is putting pressure on the left flank of the British line, at a town called Apaukwa. If Apaukwa falls, there is a chance that the British units to the right could be cut off. General Pownall, commander of the Southeast Asia theater of operations, has ordered the construction of rafts and coastal barges at Akyab, allowing the defenders of the city a chance to escape if a Japanese breakthrough at Apaukwa looks likely. Pownall has ordered that the larger guns and supply units be moved out of the city in advance, and set up Alethangow, approximately 20 miles up the coast, where they cannot be cut off. Alethangow is also meant to serve as a reserve supply base.
While Japanese air units have focused their attack on the British units at Akyab itself, the British have been devoting their strength to blunting the Japanese pressure at Apaukwa. Each day one can expect to find 50 Japanese bombers flying over Akyab, while between 20 to 50 British bombers are flying over the Japanese line at Apaukwa.
The Thayne News Network contacted Dr. Gaschk, of the Gaschk School of Fighting, to ask for an assessment of the situation at Akyab. After reviewing documents and reports provided to Thayne News by the War Department and Allied Command, as well as the first hand reports of Thayne News reporters in the field, Dr. Gaschk reported that he expects Akyab to fall into Japanese hands within the next few days. "The Japanese have mustered the 3 to 1 advantage typically considered necessary for a successful attack. They have a 15 to 1 superiority in guns, are concentrating their air force on the region, and have better access to supply. I think they can take the city within a week."
Japan Invades Sandakan, Toboali
(TN - Darwin) Japan's drive to take control of the small ports remaining in the Dutch East Indies has resulted in new landings at Sandakari and Toboali. Sandakari is on the northern coast of Borneo, near the Philippines, and has been effectively isolated since early in the war. Over the past several months, it has served as a refueling station for Allied submarines patrolling the South China Sea and the waters of the Philippines itself.
Toboali sits on an island between Borneo, Java, and Sumatra, and has the potential to control access into and out of the Java Sea. Allied forces mined the port in the early days of the war, but Japanese forces were able to successfully avoid the mines in launching their attack on the island.
DARWIN RAIDED AGAIN
March 31, 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.
DARWIN RAIDED AGAIN
(TN - Darwin) Japan raided Darwin again, scoring another round of victories as a loss of four Japanese Zeros and 1 Betty Bomber bought Japan the destruction of 15 Allied fighters. Japan capped its victory with the destruction of two Martin bombers on the ground.
Japan had left Darwin alone for the last couple of days as its bombers concentrated on targets at Bulla and, perhaps, rested from earlier missions. When it returned to Darwin, it followed the same pattern as earlier sweeps, as two dozen Zero fighters escorted a token force of six Betty bombers to the city. Darwin, protected by British, American, and Dutch fighters, put nearly three dozen airplanes in the air, only to have the Japanese destroy nearly half of them and drive the rest from the sky.
Japanese Submarine Sunk Near Townsend
(TN - Townsville) Allied forces sunk another Japanese submarine off of the eastern coast of the island yesterday. Forces gathering at Caines for a mission to deliver reinforcements and supplies to Thursday Island encountered the submarine as the entered the port of Caines. The forces had been gathering at Cooktown, but General Thompson, commander of the forces in the southwest pacific, ordered the ships south. The small port at Cooktown was hindering operations to load supply, and Cairns wanted to get the mission underway more quickly than the port of Cooktown would have allowed.
This may be the second submarine that attacked the Cooktown task force the earlier in the week. With its destruction, Japan may be facing a shortage of submarines in Australian waters. The presence of submarines adds to the danger of the mission to deliver additional equipment to Thursday Island.
General Thompson also told units of the 7th Australian Division to prepare for redeployment to Port Moresby. As soon as the mission to supplement and supply the forces on Thursday Island is over, Thompson has expressed an interest in using the same ships to deliver elements from the division. An earlier mission to deliver 14,000 tons of supply to Port Moresby succeeded without any losses, suggesting that infantry reinforcements, if delivered quickly enough, may not face any Japanese attack either.
Allied military intelligence has speculated that the Japanese are concentrating their air force in the Dutch East Indies and in Burma, and may not have planes to spare for operations in New Guinea.
Sources at Southwest Pacific Command have informed Thayne News that a battleship was sighted in the waters north of Port Moresby. A PBY crew reportedly saw the battleship in a task force 150 miles north of Buna. An earlier sighting of six Japanese battleships resulted in the ships disappearing without a trace immediately afterward. Southwest Pacific Command has stated that it will continue its operations as planned and wait for further information on the sighting.
British Battleships Declared Safe
(TN - Dacca) Japan has launched no further raids against the British battleships that reached the port of Chadpur. Repair crews have eliminated the flooding on three of the four damaged ships, and expect to have the fourth damaged ship ready to sail in a few days. The ships will go to Diamond Harbor for further repairs. The most badly damaged ship, the Resolution, may be sent back to England for repairs.
At Diamond Harbor, the damaged battleships will join the light carrier Hermes, already undergoing repairs.
No News On Wake Island Attacks
(TN - Washington) Allied military intelligence reports that they continue to get pieces of information suggesting that the Japanese 4th Fleet is planning an attack on Wake Island, but no movement against the island has been seen. Intelligence places the 4th Fleet on the island of Truk, and suggests that there are 180,000 Japanese soldiers on the island. Admiral Kimmel has ordered nearly a dozen submarines into the waters around Truk to try to intercept and report on any suspicious Japanese movements. So far, everything appears calm.
Mililtary Intelligence is also placing the Japanese carrier force in the middle of the South China Sea. Eighty Kate and Vale bombers recently attacked the city of Tavoy from the west. Strategists predict that the Japanese carriers will be involved in any attack on Wake Island, so they are not concerned that the attack will occur in the near future.
Additional supplies continue to reach Wake Island as the defenders work day and night to build up the island's defenses. Concrete bunkers have been built for many of the guns. In addition, mines have been placed in the water around the island, and a series of strongpoints and trenches have been built to keep the Japanese off of the island.
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.
DARWIN RAIDED AGAIN
(TN - Darwin) Japan raided Darwin again, scoring another round of victories as a loss of four Japanese Zeros and 1 Betty Bomber bought Japan the destruction of 15 Allied fighters. Japan capped its victory with the destruction of two Martin bombers on the ground.
Japan had left Darwin alone for the last couple of days as its bombers concentrated on targets at Bulla and, perhaps, rested from earlier missions. When it returned to Darwin, it followed the same pattern as earlier sweeps, as two dozen Zero fighters escorted a token force of six Betty bombers to the city. Darwin, protected by British, American, and Dutch fighters, put nearly three dozen airplanes in the air, only to have the Japanese destroy nearly half of them and drive the rest from the sky.
Japanese Submarine Sunk Near Townsend
(TN - Townsville) Allied forces sunk another Japanese submarine off of the eastern coast of the island yesterday. Forces gathering at Caines for a mission to deliver reinforcements and supplies to Thursday Island encountered the submarine as the entered the port of Caines. The forces had been gathering at Cooktown, but General Thompson, commander of the forces in the southwest pacific, ordered the ships south. The small port at Cooktown was hindering operations to load supply, and Cairns wanted to get the mission underway more quickly than the port of Cooktown would have allowed.
This may be the second submarine that attacked the Cooktown task force the earlier in the week. With its destruction, Japan may be facing a shortage of submarines in Australian waters. The presence of submarines adds to the danger of the mission to deliver additional equipment to Thursday Island.
General Thompson also told units of the 7th Australian Division to prepare for redeployment to Port Moresby. As soon as the mission to supplement and supply the forces on Thursday Island is over, Thompson has expressed an interest in using the same ships to deliver elements from the division. An earlier mission to deliver 14,000 tons of supply to Port Moresby succeeded without any losses, suggesting that infantry reinforcements, if delivered quickly enough, may not face any Japanese attack either.
Allied military intelligence has speculated that the Japanese are concentrating their air force in the Dutch East Indies and in Burma, and may not have planes to spare for operations in New Guinea.
Sources at Southwest Pacific Command have informed Thayne News that a battleship was sighted in the waters north of Port Moresby. A PBY crew reportedly saw the battleship in a task force 150 miles north of Buna. An earlier sighting of six Japanese battleships resulted in the ships disappearing without a trace immediately afterward. Southwest Pacific Command has stated that it will continue its operations as planned and wait for further information on the sighting.
British Battleships Declared Safe
(TN - Dacca) Japan has launched no further raids against the British battleships that reached the port of Chadpur. Repair crews have eliminated the flooding on three of the four damaged ships, and expect to have the fourth damaged ship ready to sail in a few days. The ships will go to Diamond Harbor for further repairs. The most badly damaged ship, the Resolution, may be sent back to England for repairs.
At Diamond Harbor, the damaged battleships will join the light carrier Hermes, already undergoing repairs.
No News On Wake Island Attacks
(TN - Washington) Allied military intelligence reports that they continue to get pieces of information suggesting that the Japanese 4th Fleet is planning an attack on Wake Island, but no movement against the island has been seen. Intelligence places the 4th Fleet on the island of Truk, and suggests that there are 180,000 Japanese soldiers on the island. Admiral Kimmel has ordered nearly a dozen submarines into the waters around Truk to try to intercept and report on any suspicious Japanese movements. So far, everything appears calm.
Mililtary Intelligence is also placing the Japanese carrier force in the middle of the South China Sea. Eighty Kate and Vale bombers recently attacked the city of Tavoy from the west. Strategists predict that the Japanese carriers will be involved in any attack on Wake Island, so they are not concerned that the attack will occur in the near future.
Additional supplies continue to reach Wake Island as the defenders work day and night to build up the island's defenses. Concrete bunkers have been built for many of the guns. In addition, mines have been placed in the water around the island, and a series of strongpoints and trenches have been built to keep the Japanese off of the island.
MARCH STATISTICS RELEASED
April 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.
MARCH STATISTICS RELEASED
(TN - Washington) Statistics released from the War Department for the month of March shows that the Japanese are still winning the land war by a wide margin, but slowly losing their lead in the naval and air war.
Pace of Japanese Ship Loss Holds
The number of ships on the War Department list of Japanese losses kept pace with the historical trend of nearly one ship per day through March. Military Intelligence added another twenty-eight ships during March.
The Allies have been largely unsuccessful at damaging Japanese surface combat ships. Throughout the month of March, allied military intelligence found sufficient evidence to add only two destroyers to the list of Japanese combat ships destroyed. There has been evidence of other ships damaged, including two light carriers and a battleship all attacked near Borneo, but no indication that any of the attacks produced hits.
The Allies were more successful against the Japanese submarine fleet. Allied Military Intelligence added five submarines to the list of those confirmed sunk. To confirm the loss of a submarine, Military Intelligence required either physical evidence of a sunk sub, or a report among the Japanese that the submarine had been lost.
The Japanese have suffered significant losses in the realm of noncombat and auxiliary ships. Allied military command added a merchant ship and a tanker to the list of transport ships sunk. However, Japans greatest losses were in the realm of troop transports. Japan lost an additional 13 troop transports in March, added to the twenty-eight transports that they had lost earlier. Most of those transports were destroyed around Batavia to the Martin bombers that attempted to stop the attack on Batavia.
In terms of naval losses, the Allies did better than the Japanese on all fronts. Though the Allies suffered damage to several combat ships, including four British battleships and a light carrier in the Indian ocean, no Allied combat ships were sunk. As a testiment to Admiral Patch's new submarine doctrine, the Allies have not any more submarines snd lost only one additional support ship.
Allied Air Power Grows
Though the Japanese air force made some significant gains later in the month, particularly in raids aimed against Darwin, the March statistics favor the Allied air forces. When March started, the Allied had suffered 850 airplane losses compared to 1000 Japanese losses. These losses include not only combat losses, but estimates of planes lost through normal operations. During March, the Allies lost another 250 Airplanes, while the Japanese lost an additional 300. The difference is mostly the result of operational losses.
During the month of March, a mechanical flaw found in the B-17 high-altitude bomber prevented them from climbing above 32,000 feet. Bombing at this altitude proved highly successful against Japanese airbases, where planes were seldom disbursed properly. These changes explain why the March numbers were not as good as those in earlier months. To prevent an excessive loss of Allied bombers until the problem can be fixed, the heavy bombers have been focusing on targets in Burma that do not have a combat air patrol.
In general, almost all of the Allied combat losses were fighter aircraft destroyed by Japanese 'Zero' pilots. In contrast, Japan has lost few fighters to allied pilots, though allied fighter pilots have destroyed a respectable number of Japanese bombers. Allied pilots, trained in mock dogfights against other allied planes, were often fatally surprised by the maneuvers a Japanese pilot could make in their light-weight Zero airplanes. Replacement pilots, as well as those fortunate enough to survive their first encounters with Japanese Zeros, are being taught new techniques to negate this Japanese advantagel
Japan Continues to Win the Ground War
Military strategists, measuring the effectiveness of the combat units lost on both sides of the war, assert that Japan is maintaining its advantage of 30 to 1 in ground combat losses. In March, the Allies lost substantial armies in the Philippines and Java. Three Chinese divisions raided northern Burma, but the month ended up back in control of this region as well.
Predictions for the Future
Thayne News Network contacted Dr. Gaschk, of the Gaschk School of Fighting, to ask his opinion on what to expect in the month of April. Dr. Gaschk told Thayne News to expect the Japanese to start to lose its advantage in the ground war. "Japan has no more large armies trapped on isolated islands to surround and destroy. After some cleanup, its next fight will have to be in a place like Akyab, or China, or northern Australia, where the allies have room to maneuver and, if necessary, to retreat."
Dr. Gaschk also said that this would mean Japan should suffer fewer naval losses. The use of Allied air bases deep in Japanese territory were largely responsible for the loss of Japanese ships in the first four months of the war. "Unless Japan does something foolish, it now has the ability to keep most of its shipping well outside the range of Allied air cover. When they do come after the Allies, they will do so as a part of an attack, where the Japanese transport ships will have a lot of cover." Gaschk reported that he would not be surprised to see Japanese assaults on Andaman Island, Kai Island, Port Moresby, and Wake Island in April.
Shortly after our interview with Dr. Gaschk, Thayne News learned of the loss of Andaman Island to the Japanese (see related story).
The air war will continue along as it has been, according to Dr. Gaschk. He predicted that the Allies may find the Japanese to be marginally more successful in destroying Allied aircraft in April, and predicted a near tie at a loss of about 250 airplanes each.
Andaman Island Falls to Japan
(TN - Dacca) Japan landed 10,000 soldiers on Andaman Island last night, and took control of the island from the British. General Pownall had made no attempt to defend the island, claiming that it was too far under the Japanese air umbrella to be worth the loss of ships that a sincere defense would require. Senior staff members in Southeast Asia Command cite the damage done to the British battleships attempting to support the defense at Akyab testify that this decision was the correct one.
Allied forces had been using the island as a base for submarine operations off of the coast of Malaya, but there were no submarines near the island at the time of the attack.
The use of the island gives Japan a base that will allow it to control more of the Bay of Bengal. Airplanes from the base will be able to threaten Allied transport ships attempting to reach Diamond Harbor. However, the Allies have been busy stockpiling arms and ammunition at Diamond Harbor and Chadpur since the start of the war. The island also threatens the Allied bases at Ceylon for the first time since the start of the war. However, Southeast Asia Command reports that the Singapore air force has since retreated to Ceylon and has been built back up to its original strength.
Japan Forces Enter Akyab
(TN - Dacca) Japan launched a major offensive yesterday, crossing the Kaladan River on the allied left flank and threatening to cut off the city of Akyab. The move came as a surprise to the Allied defenders, which had been feeling the most pressure from the Japanese in the region of Apaukwa, on the left flank. The move to cut off Akyab resulted in an order to evacuate all but essential grown crew and basic ammunition from the island to Foul Point. The bombs struck two ammunition caches near the water's edge where they can be conveniently loaded into barges, and sent huge fireballs into the sky above the town.
Japanese air units flew in to support the attack, concentrating on the barges and rafts the allies were using to move reinforcements and ammunition along the front line. The bombing raids resulted in 100 allied casualties and thwarted allied attempts to withdraw units across the river in the face of the Japanese advance. Japan's 18th Division trapped two companies of Allied soldiers on the far side of the river and forced their surrender.
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.
MARCH STATISTICS RELEASED
(TN - Washington) Statistics released from the War Department for the month of March shows that the Japanese are still winning the land war by a wide margin, but slowly losing their lead in the naval and air war.
Pace of Japanese Ship Loss Holds
The number of ships on the War Department list of Japanese losses kept pace with the historical trend of nearly one ship per day through March. Military Intelligence added another twenty-eight ships during March.
The Allies have been largely unsuccessful at damaging Japanese surface combat ships. Throughout the month of March, allied military intelligence found sufficient evidence to add only two destroyers to the list of Japanese combat ships destroyed. There has been evidence of other ships damaged, including two light carriers and a battleship all attacked near Borneo, but no indication that any of the attacks produced hits.
The Allies were more successful against the Japanese submarine fleet. Allied Military Intelligence added five submarines to the list of those confirmed sunk. To confirm the loss of a submarine, Military Intelligence required either physical evidence of a sunk sub, or a report among the Japanese that the submarine had been lost.
The Japanese have suffered significant losses in the realm of noncombat and auxiliary ships. Allied military command added a merchant ship and a tanker to the list of transport ships sunk. However, Japans greatest losses were in the realm of troop transports. Japan lost an additional 13 troop transports in March, added to the twenty-eight transports that they had lost earlier. Most of those transports were destroyed around Batavia to the Martin bombers that attempted to stop the attack on Batavia.
In terms of naval losses, the Allies did better than the Japanese on all fronts. Though the Allies suffered damage to several combat ships, including four British battleships and a light carrier in the Indian ocean, no Allied combat ships were sunk. As a testiment to Admiral Patch's new submarine doctrine, the Allies have not any more submarines snd lost only one additional support ship.
Allied Air Power Grows
Though the Japanese air force made some significant gains later in the month, particularly in raids aimed against Darwin, the March statistics favor the Allied air forces. When March started, the Allied had suffered 850 airplane losses compared to 1000 Japanese losses. These losses include not only combat losses, but estimates of planes lost through normal operations. During March, the Allies lost another 250 Airplanes, while the Japanese lost an additional 300. The difference is mostly the result of operational losses.
During the month of March, a mechanical flaw found in the B-17 high-altitude bomber prevented them from climbing above 32,000 feet. Bombing at this altitude proved highly successful against Japanese airbases, where planes were seldom disbursed properly. These changes explain why the March numbers were not as good as those in earlier months. To prevent an excessive loss of Allied bombers until the problem can be fixed, the heavy bombers have been focusing on targets in Burma that do not have a combat air patrol.
In general, almost all of the Allied combat losses were fighter aircraft destroyed by Japanese 'Zero' pilots. In contrast, Japan has lost few fighters to allied pilots, though allied fighter pilots have destroyed a respectable number of Japanese bombers. Allied pilots, trained in mock dogfights against other allied planes, were often fatally surprised by the maneuvers a Japanese pilot could make in their light-weight Zero airplanes. Replacement pilots, as well as those fortunate enough to survive their first encounters with Japanese Zeros, are being taught new techniques to negate this Japanese advantagel
Japan Continues to Win the Ground War
Military strategists, measuring the effectiveness of the combat units lost on both sides of the war, assert that Japan is maintaining its advantage of 30 to 1 in ground combat losses. In March, the Allies lost substantial armies in the Philippines and Java. Three Chinese divisions raided northern Burma, but the month ended up back in control of this region as well.
Predictions for the Future
Thayne News Network contacted Dr. Gaschk, of the Gaschk School of Fighting, to ask his opinion on what to expect in the month of April. Dr. Gaschk told Thayne News to expect the Japanese to start to lose its advantage in the ground war. "Japan has no more large armies trapped on isolated islands to surround and destroy. After some cleanup, its next fight will have to be in a place like Akyab, or China, or northern Australia, where the allies have room to maneuver and, if necessary, to retreat."
Dr. Gaschk also said that this would mean Japan should suffer fewer naval losses. The use of Allied air bases deep in Japanese territory were largely responsible for the loss of Japanese ships in the first four months of the war. "Unless Japan does something foolish, it now has the ability to keep most of its shipping well outside the range of Allied air cover. When they do come after the Allies, they will do so as a part of an attack, where the Japanese transport ships will have a lot of cover." Gaschk reported that he would not be surprised to see Japanese assaults on Andaman Island, Kai Island, Port Moresby, and Wake Island in April.
Shortly after our interview with Dr. Gaschk, Thayne News learned of the loss of Andaman Island to the Japanese (see related story).
The air war will continue along as it has been, according to Dr. Gaschk. He predicted that the Allies may find the Japanese to be marginally more successful in destroying Allied aircraft in April, and predicted a near tie at a loss of about 250 airplanes each.
Andaman Island Falls to Japan
(TN - Dacca) Japan landed 10,000 soldiers on Andaman Island last night, and took control of the island from the British. General Pownall had made no attempt to defend the island, claiming that it was too far under the Japanese air umbrella to be worth the loss of ships that a sincere defense would require. Senior staff members in Southeast Asia Command cite the damage done to the British battleships attempting to support the defense at Akyab testify that this decision was the correct one.
Allied forces had been using the island as a base for submarine operations off of the coast of Malaya, but there were no submarines near the island at the time of the attack.
The use of the island gives Japan a base that will allow it to control more of the Bay of Bengal. Airplanes from the base will be able to threaten Allied transport ships attempting to reach Diamond Harbor. However, the Allies have been busy stockpiling arms and ammunition at Diamond Harbor and Chadpur since the start of the war. The island also threatens the Allied bases at Ceylon for the first time since the start of the war. However, Southeast Asia Command reports that the Singapore air force has since retreated to Ceylon and has been built back up to its original strength.
Japan Forces Enter Akyab
(TN - Dacca) Japan launched a major offensive yesterday, crossing the Kaladan River on the allied left flank and threatening to cut off the city of Akyab. The move came as a surprise to the Allied defenders, which had been feeling the most pressure from the Japanese in the region of Apaukwa, on the left flank. The move to cut off Akyab resulted in an order to evacuate all but essential grown crew and basic ammunition from the island to Foul Point. The bombs struck two ammunition caches near the water's edge where they can be conveniently loaded into barges, and sent huge fireballs into the sky above the town.
Japanese air units flew in to support the attack, concentrating on the barges and rafts the allies were using to move reinforcements and ammunition along the front line. The bombing raids resulted in 100 allied casualties and thwarted allied attempts to withdraw units across the river in the face of the Japanese advance. Japan's 18th Division trapped two companies of Allied soldiers on the far side of the river and forced their surrender.
KAI ISLAND DRAWS RAID
April 02, 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.
KAI ISLAND DRAWS RAID
(TN – Darwin) The forward base of Kai Island lived up to its purpose yesterday and drew the Japanese bomber raid that would have almost certainly gone to Darwin instead. Two dozen Japanese zeros swept away the combat air patrol, then a dozen bombers focused on the ground facilities damaging airfields and ports and killing soldiers.
Darwin, meanwhile, focused on what promises to be the last day of the Dutch Rescue. Air units have pulled back the last of the Dutch forces on Sumba Island, and are working on retrieving the last units at Timor. All of the air units have already withdrawn.
With the end of the Dutch Rescue in sight, General Thompson of Southwest Pacific Command reports that he is preparing to deliver units and supply to Aru Island, about 300 miles north of Darwin. Also, Thompson is making plans to ship the Dutch ground units to Townsend for some rest and relaxation before returning them to the battle.
Allied Command Orders Rest, Training
(TN – Washington) Allied military command has authorized regional commanders to pull some of their more exhausted units off of the line and give them a few days of rest and relaxation. There has not been any rotation of troops since the start of the war. For the most part, the units selected have been fighting since December 7, 1941, in territory that is filled with heat, humidity, and disease. These units will undergo an unspecified time of repair, refit, and retraining before returning to the lines.
Aerial combat units in around Chadpur and Dacca in India have been particularly hard pressed, working around the clock to try to stop the Japanese in Burma. Air and ground units in the jungle airfields at Imphal and Ledo have also suffered heavily in the early parts of the war. Military commanders are pulling their key air units only a few tens of kilometers away from the front line so that they could quickly rush forward in case of an emergency. Meanwhile, engineers are working to make these towns more comfortable for the airmen, bringing in air conditioning and building up the living and recreation facilities.
Military command has also ordered the start of a project to refit allied destroyers and minesweepers with newer and better anti-aircraft guns. Destroyers at Pearl Harbor, Auckland, and Sydney, all showed up to have their 50 caliber machine guns cut away, and for the mounts for the new 20mm anti aircraft cannon added in their place. Hull, for example, presently in Sydney harbor, will have seven of the new guns installed when it leaves port later in the month.
Reporters Learn Bomb Assessment
(TN – Brisbane) Australian Command called reporters in to learn some lessons about bomb assessment, showing wing camera footage of a raid on Buna earlier in the day.
Bomb assessment specialist Lieutenant William Hert ran the lesson by showing footage of the attack, then asking the reporters to say whether a hit had been scored. In this mission, eight Hudson bombers accompanied by sixteen Hurricanes attacked a port loaded with ships. Film footage showed a number of huge bomb splashes next to the ships, and reporters counted at least seven definite hits. However, the bomb assessment team reported that the attackers inflicted no damage on the Japanese ships.
After giving the reporters a lesson in what to watch for, the bomb assessment crew showed the effects of the afternoon raid, one attack at a time. In one of the raids, splashes from a Whirraway’s guns erupted on one side of a freighter, then crossed the ship and sent up fountains on the other side of the ship.
“We call that a hit,” Lieuntenant Hert reported.
Another film showed three bombs dropping on another freighter. One splash erupted on its right side, another on the ship’s left, and a cloud of smoke obscured the center.
The next piece of footage that the assessment crew showed was from a fighter’s wing camera. The fighter happened to be skimming across the waves, facing a ship as a Martin bomber went over. One explosion rose from the rear of the ship, then a billowing cloud of black smoke erupted near the center.
Another piece of footage showed an enemy troop transport through the wing camera of a Whirraway fighter. Specks of white light flew from the plane toward the ship, while other flecks flew up from the ship at the plane. The fighter pulled the trigger; his bullets flew over the ship and splashed the water on the other side. The pilot brought the nose down a little and fired again. The white spots of tracer rounds hit the middle of the freighter. In an instant, the freighter vanished, replaced by a rapidly glowing gray cloud. The pilot pulled up, but still flew through the explosion.
Even the reporters cheered.
“We also call that a hit,” said Hert.
The last footage was from another Whirraway fighter flying level over the water. It showed columns of smoke rising from four of the troop transports in the harbor. The column from one transport was thick, and another column came from a burning oil slick around a transport that was dead in the water and riding low in the waves.
Hert said, “We count that as four enemy troop transports damaged, one of them severely,” the assessment coordinator said. The reporter’s tally would have had the Japanese transports hit by more bombs than the airplanes actually took with them.
The reporters learned valuable lessons on the difficulty involved in getting accurate casualty information.
Walke Scores Against Jap Sub
(TN – Townsend) A task force underway to lay mines at Port Moresby ran a Japanese submarines in waters east of Townsend yesterday and sank the ship. Allied radar picked up the submarine two hundred miles north of Townsend off of the Australian coast. The destroyer crews triangulated a position, and Wilke swept through to deliver her depth charges. A spread of torpedoes cast gray and oily water into the sky, suggesting a significant hit on an enemy ship. Wilke circled around for another pattern over the same target. Spotters reported seeing large quantities of bubbles rising to the surface. The minesweeper Cessnock joined in the attack pattern. Its spotters reporting a trail of oil heading to the north. Cessnock followed the trail, dropping depth charges as it went.
The large quantity of debris suggested that the submarine had been destroyed. Military Intelligence marked the submarine as a Japanese loss.
Another task force, returning from delivering supplies to Port Moresby, ran into another submarine a few miles east of Port Moreyby. Crews from the destroyers Voyager[/i[ and Preston each reported a hit on the enemy submarine.
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.
KAI ISLAND DRAWS RAID
(TN – Darwin) The forward base of Kai Island lived up to its purpose yesterday and drew the Japanese bomber raid that would have almost certainly gone to Darwin instead. Two dozen Japanese zeros swept away the combat air patrol, then a dozen bombers focused on the ground facilities damaging airfields and ports and killing soldiers.
Darwin, meanwhile, focused on what promises to be the last day of the Dutch Rescue. Air units have pulled back the last of the Dutch forces on Sumba Island, and are working on retrieving the last units at Timor. All of the air units have already withdrawn.
With the end of the Dutch Rescue in sight, General Thompson of Southwest Pacific Command reports that he is preparing to deliver units and supply to Aru Island, about 300 miles north of Darwin. Also, Thompson is making plans to ship the Dutch ground units to Townsend for some rest and relaxation before returning them to the battle.
Allied Command Orders Rest, Training
(TN – Washington) Allied military command has authorized regional commanders to pull some of their more exhausted units off of the line and give them a few days of rest and relaxation. There has not been any rotation of troops since the start of the war. For the most part, the units selected have been fighting since December 7, 1941, in territory that is filled with heat, humidity, and disease. These units will undergo an unspecified time of repair, refit, and retraining before returning to the lines.
Aerial combat units in around Chadpur and Dacca in India have been particularly hard pressed, working around the clock to try to stop the Japanese in Burma. Air and ground units in the jungle airfields at Imphal and Ledo have also suffered heavily in the early parts of the war. Military commanders are pulling their key air units only a few tens of kilometers away from the front line so that they could quickly rush forward in case of an emergency. Meanwhile, engineers are working to make these towns more comfortable for the airmen, bringing in air conditioning and building up the living and recreation facilities.
Military command has also ordered the start of a project to refit allied destroyers and minesweepers with newer and better anti-aircraft guns. Destroyers at Pearl Harbor, Auckland, and Sydney, all showed up to have their 50 caliber machine guns cut away, and for the mounts for the new 20mm anti aircraft cannon added in their place. Hull, for example, presently in Sydney harbor, will have seven of the new guns installed when it leaves port later in the month.
Reporters Learn Bomb Assessment
(TN – Brisbane) Australian Command called reporters in to learn some lessons about bomb assessment, showing wing camera footage of a raid on Buna earlier in the day.
Bomb assessment specialist Lieutenant William Hert ran the lesson by showing footage of the attack, then asking the reporters to say whether a hit had been scored. In this mission, eight Hudson bombers accompanied by sixteen Hurricanes attacked a port loaded with ships. Film footage showed a number of huge bomb splashes next to the ships, and reporters counted at least seven definite hits. However, the bomb assessment team reported that the attackers inflicted no damage on the Japanese ships.
After giving the reporters a lesson in what to watch for, the bomb assessment crew showed the effects of the afternoon raid, one attack at a time. In one of the raids, splashes from a Whirraway’s guns erupted on one side of a freighter, then crossed the ship and sent up fountains on the other side of the ship.
“We call that a hit,” Lieuntenant Hert reported.
Another film showed three bombs dropping on another freighter. One splash erupted on its right side, another on the ship’s left, and a cloud of smoke obscured the center.
The next piece of footage that the assessment crew showed was from a fighter’s wing camera. The fighter happened to be skimming across the waves, facing a ship as a Martin bomber went over. One explosion rose from the rear of the ship, then a billowing cloud of black smoke erupted near the center.
Another piece of footage showed an enemy troop transport through the wing camera of a Whirraway fighter. Specks of white light flew from the plane toward the ship, while other flecks flew up from the ship at the plane. The fighter pulled the trigger; his bullets flew over the ship and splashed the water on the other side. The pilot brought the nose down a little and fired again. The white spots of tracer rounds hit the middle of the freighter. In an instant, the freighter vanished, replaced by a rapidly glowing gray cloud. The pilot pulled up, but still flew through the explosion.
Even the reporters cheered.
“We also call that a hit,” said Hert.
The last footage was from another Whirraway fighter flying level over the water. It showed columns of smoke rising from four of the troop transports in the harbor. The column from one transport was thick, and another column came from a burning oil slick around a transport that was dead in the water and riding low in the waves.
Hert said, “We count that as four enemy troop transports damaged, one of them severely,” the assessment coordinator said. The reporter’s tally would have had the Japanese transports hit by more bombs than the airplanes actually took with them.
The reporters learned valuable lessons on the difficulty involved in getting accurate casualty information.
Walke Scores Against Jap Sub
(TN – Townsend) A task force underway to lay mines at Port Moresby ran a Japanese submarines in waters east of Townsend yesterday and sank the ship. Allied radar picked up the submarine two hundred miles north of Townsend off of the Australian coast. The destroyer crews triangulated a position, and Wilke swept through to deliver her depth charges. A spread of torpedoes cast gray and oily water into the sky, suggesting a significant hit on an enemy ship. Wilke circled around for another pattern over the same target. Spotters reported seeing large quantities of bubbles rising to the surface. The minesweeper Cessnock joined in the attack pattern. Its spotters reporting a trail of oil heading to the north. Cessnock followed the trail, dropping depth charges as it went.
The large quantity of debris suggested that the submarine had been destroyed. Military Intelligence marked the submarine as a Japanese loss.
Another task force, returning from delivering supplies to Port Moresby, ran into another submarine a few miles east of Port Moreyby. Crews from the destroyers Voyager[/i[ and Preston each reported a hit on the enemy submarine.
FALL OF AKYAB: SPECIAL EDITION
April 03, 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.
FALL OF AKYAB: SPECIAL EDITION
(TN – Dacca) The Japanese 56h Division captured over 5,000 soldiers in a surprise maneuver against the town of Akyab. The Japanese units took advantage of the thick jungle to outflank the allies to the left. The British left flank quickly collapsed, allowing the Japanese to trap several units further east. Desperate British and Commonwealth soldiers fought to escape the track. The thick jungle turned their attempts to escape into close-in hand-to-hand fighting. 7,000 of the remaining 12,000 soldiers managed to flee up the trail toward Dacca. The escaping soldiers have started a long trek out of the jungle, with the Japanese close on their heals.
The loss of Akyab gives the Japanese an airbase very close to the major Allied ports at Chadpur and Diamond Harbor. The port town is also close to nearly 300 British and American military aircraft. Senior officials within Southeast Asia Command are expecting a significant escalation in the air war over eastern India as Japanese forces fight to close off the delivery of supplies to the northern Indian ports. Unnamed sources in Southeast Asia Command report that General Pownall is starting this conflict by ordering all available air units to strike Akyab, concentrating on the air field and ground force concentrations.
Military Intelligence has learned that the Akyab force will soon be joined by the Japanese 33rd Division, the 2nd Tank Regiment, the 5th Engineer Regiment, and the 7th AF Construction Battalion. Military strategists say that they expect the Japanese to use the construction and engineer units to quickly put the port and airfields in operation and to begin to fortify the town. The existence of three divisions threatens eastern India with an assault by 60,000 Japanese soldiers – plus the contents of two other unidentified units heading to Akyab. The British, in comparison, presently have 60,000 soldiers sitting at Dacca, which has been turned into a virtual fortress.
The British have not scheduled any more reinforcements to arrive in India in the near future. The British are temporarily focusing all of their efforts against the Germans in North Africa. Other than units that are formed entirely within India from its native population, according to British officials, India can expect no reinforcements for at least the foreseeable future.
A convoy carrying 100 Allied cargo planes is on its way to India and will arrive in about a month. These units will be assigned the task of keeping the units in western China supplied with ammunition that will be arriving at Diamond Harbor and traveling through Dacca. Southeast Asia Command expressed no doubt that Japan will seek to close down any supply route to China.
Thayne News called upon Dr. Gaschk, of the Gaschk School of Fighting, to analyze the situation for us. Dr. Gaschk noted that the Japanese have several additional divisions, freed up from fighting in Java and the Philippines, that it can add to the assault on northern India. At the same time, Japan has suffered a significant loss of troop transport craft, and crossing the jungle into India would be a poor way to try to attack the country. The British Empire has another 90 airplanes on the island of Ceylon that it can call up to northern India in case of attack. Finally, Dr. Gaschk noted that the next enemy attack could come at Ceylon itself, which is less heavily defended and would allow the Japanese to close off the overseas supply route to northern India.
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.
FALL OF AKYAB: SPECIAL EDITION
(TN – Dacca) The Japanese 56h Division captured over 5,000 soldiers in a surprise maneuver against the town of Akyab. The Japanese units took advantage of the thick jungle to outflank the allies to the left. The British left flank quickly collapsed, allowing the Japanese to trap several units further east. Desperate British and Commonwealth soldiers fought to escape the track. The thick jungle turned their attempts to escape into close-in hand-to-hand fighting. 7,000 of the remaining 12,000 soldiers managed to flee up the trail toward Dacca. The escaping soldiers have started a long trek out of the jungle, with the Japanese close on their heals.
The loss of Akyab gives the Japanese an airbase very close to the major Allied ports at Chadpur and Diamond Harbor. The port town is also close to nearly 300 British and American military aircraft. Senior officials within Southeast Asia Command are expecting a significant escalation in the air war over eastern India as Japanese forces fight to close off the delivery of supplies to the northern Indian ports. Unnamed sources in Southeast Asia Command report that General Pownall is starting this conflict by ordering all available air units to strike Akyab, concentrating on the air field and ground force concentrations.
Military Intelligence has learned that the Akyab force will soon be joined by the Japanese 33rd Division, the 2nd Tank Regiment, the 5th Engineer Regiment, and the 7th AF Construction Battalion. Military strategists say that they expect the Japanese to use the construction and engineer units to quickly put the port and airfields in operation and to begin to fortify the town. The existence of three divisions threatens eastern India with an assault by 60,000 Japanese soldiers – plus the contents of two other unidentified units heading to Akyab. The British, in comparison, presently have 60,000 soldiers sitting at Dacca, which has been turned into a virtual fortress.
The British have not scheduled any more reinforcements to arrive in India in the near future. The British are temporarily focusing all of their efforts against the Germans in North Africa. Other than units that are formed entirely within India from its native population, according to British officials, India can expect no reinforcements for at least the foreseeable future.
A convoy carrying 100 Allied cargo planes is on its way to India and will arrive in about a month. These units will be assigned the task of keeping the units in western China supplied with ammunition that will be arriving at Diamond Harbor and traveling through Dacca. Southeast Asia Command expressed no doubt that Japan will seek to close down any supply route to China.
Thayne News called upon Dr. Gaschk, of the Gaschk School of Fighting, to analyze the situation for us. Dr. Gaschk noted that the Japanese have several additional divisions, freed up from fighting in Java and the Philippines, that it can add to the assault on northern India. At the same time, Japan has suffered a significant loss of troop transport craft, and crossing the jungle into India would be a poor way to try to attack the country. The British Empire has another 90 airplanes on the island of Ceylon that it can call up to northern India in case of attack. Finally, Dr. Gaschk noted that the next enemy attack could come at Ceylon itself, which is less heavily defended and would allow the Japanese to close off the overseas supply route to northern India.
JAP CARRIERS RAID PHILIPPINES
April 4, 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 ac4urate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
JAP CARRIERS RAID PHILIPPINES
(TN - Darwin) San Jose, an island not far from the Philippines still controlled by an Allied military garrison, was attacked by carrier airplanes yesterday. Over 100 Japanese carrier-based bombers, escorted by 10 Japanese Zeros, struck key air and naval facilities on the island. Bombers destroyed many of the buildings at and near the airport, as well as destroying warehouses and repair facilities at the port. The defenders had nothing with which to challenge the attack, giving the Japanese free reign over the island.
The attack gives Allied military command important information on the location of the Japanese carrier task force. General Pownall in India has reportedly been concerned about a Japanese carrier raid against the merchant ships that are delivering supplies to Diamond Harbor. Admiral Kimmel on the other side of the battle has told his officers that they should not expect the enemy to move against Wake Island for at least a couple more weeks. Hoping to take advantage of the delay, Kimmel recently sent 8 destroyers and 4 minesweepers back to the United States to have their anti-aircraft guns replaced with heavier models.
Andaman Island Intelligence Concerns Allies
(TN - Washington) Intelligence information gathered from the Japanese attack on the Andaman Island, south of Rangoon, in the Bay of Bengal, has caused a stir through Allied military command centers across the Pacific. According to sources, Japan conquered the undefended island with a full division. The weight of the Japanese attack was much larger than Japan needed. Allied military strategists are wondering if this is the type of attack that can be expected for Kiska, Wake Island, Ndini, Baker or Howland Island, Port Moresby, Thursday Island, or Kai Island.
These bases now represent the front line against Japanese expansion. Each of the bases is largely isolated and difficult to reinforce, once a battle begins. Allied military command have begun looking at ways to build up these bases to be able to withstand a division-sized assault force. Some of the locations, such as Wake and Baker Islands, are not large enough to hold a full division in defense. However, the use of a full division in attack would allow the Japanese to pour fresh troops into an island battle until the isolated allied force is overwhelmed.
New Guinea Operations Launched
(TN - Townsend) Southwest Pacific Command announced yesterday that it is starting two operations that aim to better protect the Allied line at New Guinea. Task Force 1083 le4ft Cairns yesterday morning on a mission to mine the harbor at Port Moresby. The task force carries over 400 mines destined for the harbor, to better protect it from a possible Japanese naval invasion force. The thickness of the jungle around the city makes it likely that Japan will prefer a naval attack to take the city, rather than use a thin and winding trail through the jungle.
Task Force 1107 was making final preparations for a mission to deliver additional reinforcements and supplies to Thursday Island. The mission aims to carry the 808th Engineering Aviation Battalion to Thursday island to more quickly build up the island's facilities and defenses. General Thompson has declared that Thursday Island to be strategically important because of its ability to control the channel between Australia and New Guinea, and because it is within range of supply aircraft flying from the Australian mainland.
Kai Island Raided Again
(TN - Darwin) Kai Island absorbed another raid yesterday that would have otherwise been destined for the airfields in Darwin, Australia. Dutch Brewster 339-D fighters intercepted an attack force of two dozen Zero fighters and nearly 20 Betty bombers. The Zeros were able to quickly cut through the Dutch Combat Air Patrol. The bombers then attacked air and port facilities on the island.
In spite of the damage done to the Kai Island facilities by the raid, sources inside Southwest Pacific Command say that the results are what General Thompson wants to see. While the Japanese focus their attention on Kai Island, engineers at Darwin are able to better develop the facilities and air defenses there. Each day, aviation engineers put together a few more fighters presently sitting in crates delivered by trucks traveling along the Alice Springs Truck Pipeline. There are presently 65 combat fighters and another 15 fighter bombers ready to intercept the next Japanese attack on Darwin.
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 ac4urate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
JAP CARRIERS RAID PHILIPPINES
(TN - Darwin) San Jose, an island not far from the Philippines still controlled by an Allied military garrison, was attacked by carrier airplanes yesterday. Over 100 Japanese carrier-based bombers, escorted by 10 Japanese Zeros, struck key air and naval facilities on the island. Bombers destroyed many of the buildings at and near the airport, as well as destroying warehouses and repair facilities at the port. The defenders had nothing with which to challenge the attack, giving the Japanese free reign over the island.
The attack gives Allied military command important information on the location of the Japanese carrier task force. General Pownall in India has reportedly been concerned about a Japanese carrier raid against the merchant ships that are delivering supplies to Diamond Harbor. Admiral Kimmel on the other side of the battle has told his officers that they should not expect the enemy to move against Wake Island for at least a couple more weeks. Hoping to take advantage of the delay, Kimmel recently sent 8 destroyers and 4 minesweepers back to the United States to have their anti-aircraft guns replaced with heavier models.
Andaman Island Intelligence Concerns Allies
(TN - Washington) Intelligence information gathered from the Japanese attack on the Andaman Island, south of Rangoon, in the Bay of Bengal, has caused a stir through Allied military command centers across the Pacific. According to sources, Japan conquered the undefended island with a full division. The weight of the Japanese attack was much larger than Japan needed. Allied military strategists are wondering if this is the type of attack that can be expected for Kiska, Wake Island, Ndini, Baker or Howland Island, Port Moresby, Thursday Island, or Kai Island.
These bases now represent the front line against Japanese expansion. Each of the bases is largely isolated and difficult to reinforce, once a battle begins. Allied military command have begun looking at ways to build up these bases to be able to withstand a division-sized assault force. Some of the locations, such as Wake and Baker Islands, are not large enough to hold a full division in defense. However, the use of a full division in attack would allow the Japanese to pour fresh troops into an island battle until the isolated allied force is overwhelmed.
New Guinea Operations Launched
(TN - Townsend) Southwest Pacific Command announced yesterday that it is starting two operations that aim to better protect the Allied line at New Guinea. Task Force 1083 le4ft Cairns yesterday morning on a mission to mine the harbor at Port Moresby. The task force carries over 400 mines destined for the harbor, to better protect it from a possible Japanese naval invasion force. The thickness of the jungle around the city makes it likely that Japan will prefer a naval attack to take the city, rather than use a thin and winding trail through the jungle.
Task Force 1107 was making final preparations for a mission to deliver additional reinforcements and supplies to Thursday Island. The mission aims to carry the 808th Engineering Aviation Battalion to Thursday island to more quickly build up the island's facilities and defenses. General Thompson has declared that Thursday Island to be strategically important because of its ability to control the channel between Australia and New Guinea, and because it is within range of supply aircraft flying from the Australian mainland.
Kai Island Raided Again
(TN - Darwin) Kai Island absorbed another raid yesterday that would have otherwise been destined for the airfields in Darwin, Australia. Dutch Brewster 339-D fighters intercepted an attack force of two dozen Zero fighters and nearly 20 Betty bombers. The Zeros were able to quickly cut through the Dutch Combat Air Patrol. The bombers then attacked air and port facilities on the island.
In spite of the damage done to the Kai Island facilities by the raid, sources inside Southwest Pacific Command say that the results are what General Thompson wants to see. While the Japanese focus their attention on Kai Island, engineers at Darwin are able to better develop the facilities and air defenses there. Each day, aviation engineers put together a few more fighters presently sitting in crates delivered by trucks traveling along the Alice Springs Truck Pipeline. There are presently 65 combat fighters and another 15 fighter bombers ready to intercept the next Japanese attack on Darwin.
REVENGE AT AKYAB
April 5, 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.
REVENGE AT AKYAB
(TN - Dacca) Over 100 allied bombers visited Akyab yesterday in a raid that demolished the airfield as well as several Japanese supply depots. While the chaos of the recent battle still reigned, Southeast Pacific Command was able to gather important information on how the Japanese were setting up their defenses. In addition, the air wing of Southeast Asia Command had long known that the city was vulnerable, and had been planning air bombardment missions for several weeks. Yesterday's raid combined all of this information and planning into a powerful punch.
The first raid took place just after midnight, when Blenheim bombers struck the airfield. Their mission was to disrupt Japanese attempts to set up its defenses. The bombers cratered the runway and destroyed several service buildings in the area.
The largest of the three raids arrived just at dawn, before the Japanese had an opportunity to fly in fighters and send them up to fly CAP. A formation of twelve Blenheim bombers flew across the airfield at an altitude of 4,000 feet, seeking to make precise hits on three important areas around the airfield. One of them struck the control tower while two others aimed for the hangers. At the same time, nearly 100 B-17 and LB-30 Liberator Bombers flew high overhead to smother the airport with bombs. The Blenheim bombers, reviewing the results of the bombing, reported that Akyab no longer had an airfield.
Southeast Asia Command studied the pictures brought back by the first mission and noted several concentrations of troops pursuing the retreating Akyab defenders down the trial toward Dacca. Nearly twenty Blenhiem and Hudson bombers attacked the lead elements of the Japanese 56 Division, inflicting several casualties and slowing their pursuit.
Major Raid on Port Moresby
(TN - Brisbane) The Japanese air force began operations on the islands northeast of Australia with a huge raid on Port Moresby yesterday. A dozen fighters, accompanying nearly four dozen Betty bombers, attacked the airfield. The raid had an insignificant effect, with the bomber wing dropping their ordinance some distance from the airfield.
Yesterday's attack represents an important shift in Japanese activity in the region. The Japanese air force has not been active in this region of the Pacific Theater throughout the war. Allied units in the area have reported only scattered reconnaissance aircraft since the start of the war.
The shift brings an ominous warning to naval task forces attempting to reinforce Port Moresby and Thursday Island that these missions may not go as smoothly as earlier attempts. Presently, there are two task forces operating in the region. TF1083 is on its way to Port Moresby to place mines in the harbor to deter any Japanese aggression. TF1107 is sailing to Thursday Island to drop off some engineers to more rapidly develop that base. There is now a significant threat that TF1083 will suffer from an air attack during its mission. General Thompson has ordered that the mission should continue, so that the task force can provide a diversion against a Japanese attack on the more important mission to Thursday Island.
Another Sub Sunk Near Australia
(TN - Brisbane) TF1083 suffered a submarine attack on its way to mine Port Moresby harbor yesterday, and dealt the attacker a crippling blow. The destroyer Wilke, which is earning a reputation as a submarine slayer, first noticed the enemy submarine on sonar and dropped the first round of depth charges. Sonor operators were able to lock in on the submarine's echo. Wilke then directed the destroyer Pillsbury over the target. Pillsbury sailed in a figure 8 over the suspect location dripping charges that, according to several ships in the task force, landed right on target. Because of the darkness and the need to press on to Port Moresby, TF1083 was unable to confirm whether a Japanese submarine had indeed been sunk.
Japan Begins Cleaning Up Philippines
(TN - Darwin) Military intelligence reports that Japan appears to be starting operations to clean up the left over Allied units in the Philippines. Yesterday, a Japanese task force dropped an occupation force off at Tacloban. Tacloban still has a small allied garrison, and has been used as a fueling station for Allied submarines operating in the region.
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.
REVENGE AT AKYAB
(TN - Dacca) Over 100 allied bombers visited Akyab yesterday in a raid that demolished the airfield as well as several Japanese supply depots. While the chaos of the recent battle still reigned, Southeast Pacific Command was able to gather important information on how the Japanese were setting up their defenses. In addition, the air wing of Southeast Asia Command had long known that the city was vulnerable, and had been planning air bombardment missions for several weeks. Yesterday's raid combined all of this information and planning into a powerful punch.
The first raid took place just after midnight, when Blenheim bombers struck the airfield. Their mission was to disrupt Japanese attempts to set up its defenses. The bombers cratered the runway and destroyed several service buildings in the area.
The largest of the three raids arrived just at dawn, before the Japanese had an opportunity to fly in fighters and send them up to fly CAP. A formation of twelve Blenheim bombers flew across the airfield at an altitude of 4,000 feet, seeking to make precise hits on three important areas around the airfield. One of them struck the control tower while two others aimed for the hangers. At the same time, nearly 100 B-17 and LB-30 Liberator Bombers flew high overhead to smother the airport with bombs. The Blenheim bombers, reviewing the results of the bombing, reported that Akyab no longer had an airfield.
Southeast Asia Command studied the pictures brought back by the first mission and noted several concentrations of troops pursuing the retreating Akyab defenders down the trial toward Dacca. Nearly twenty Blenhiem and Hudson bombers attacked the lead elements of the Japanese 56 Division, inflicting several casualties and slowing their pursuit.
Major Raid on Port Moresby
(TN - Brisbane) The Japanese air force began operations on the islands northeast of Australia with a huge raid on Port Moresby yesterday. A dozen fighters, accompanying nearly four dozen Betty bombers, attacked the airfield. The raid had an insignificant effect, with the bomber wing dropping their ordinance some distance from the airfield.
Yesterday's attack represents an important shift in Japanese activity in the region. The Japanese air force has not been active in this region of the Pacific Theater throughout the war. Allied units in the area have reported only scattered reconnaissance aircraft since the start of the war.
The shift brings an ominous warning to naval task forces attempting to reinforce Port Moresby and Thursday Island that these missions may not go as smoothly as earlier attempts. Presently, there are two task forces operating in the region. TF1083 is on its way to Port Moresby to place mines in the harbor to deter any Japanese aggression. TF1107 is sailing to Thursday Island to drop off some engineers to more rapidly develop that base. There is now a significant threat that TF1083 will suffer from an air attack during its mission. General Thompson has ordered that the mission should continue, so that the task force can provide a diversion against a Japanese attack on the more important mission to Thursday Island.
Another Sub Sunk Near Australia
(TN - Brisbane) TF1083 suffered a submarine attack on its way to mine Port Moresby harbor yesterday, and dealt the attacker a crippling blow. The destroyer Wilke, which is earning a reputation as a submarine slayer, first noticed the enemy submarine on sonar and dropped the first round of depth charges. Sonor operators were able to lock in on the submarine's echo. Wilke then directed the destroyer Pillsbury over the target. Pillsbury sailed in a figure 8 over the suspect location dripping charges that, according to several ships in the task force, landed right on target. Because of the darkness and the need to press on to Port Moresby, TF1083 was unable to confirm whether a Japanese submarine had indeed been sunk.
Japan Begins Cleaning Up Philippines
(TN - Darwin) Military intelligence reports that Japan appears to be starting operations to clean up the left over Allied units in the Philippines. Yesterday, a Japanese task force dropped an occupation force off at Tacloban. Tacloban still has a small allied garrison, and has been used as a fueling station for Allied submarines operating in the region.
SAN FRAN. PORTS HUSTLE
April 6, 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.
SAN FRAN. PORTS HUSTLE
(TN - San Francisco) San Francisco is quickly becoming the busiest port of the Pacific War. With hundreds of thousands of tons of supplies, and hundreds of thousands of soldiers and their equipment, flowing through the port, the job of keeping the war machine running smoothly is a demanding one. Thayne News sent a reporter to San Francisco Harbor to learn how this essential part of the war effort runs.
Major Jack Hannover arrives at work each morning at 7:00 am. He is not due in until 8:00, but he wants to make sure that he has a handle on the day's activities before his crews arrive.
Hannover was assigned to San Francisco Harbor on December 20th, 1941. As leaders of the free world met to discuss the war effort, they realized that dozens of supply vessels would be arriving from Australia and New Zealand to pick up supplies for those countries. Eight battleships and assorted other ships were on their way from Pearl Harbor were also on their way to San Francisco for repairs. The ports along the western seaboard were loading an ever growing amount of men and material onto ships for the Pacific each day.
Allied Command assigned Hanover the task of making sure that all of this went smoothly.
A report is sitting on Hanover's desk when he arrives,, telling him that five large merchant ships had come in during the night. They had come from the South Pacific islands and contained little more than the personal belongings of civilians wanting to flee the battle zone, so they were basically empty. Hanover prepared assignments for his inspection crews and would send them out to look at the ships first thing. He would decide their fate depending on their level of wear and tear.
This was routine. Each day, Hanover could expect a small number of ships coming from distant ports. However, Hanover had to get things organized for later in the day, when a task force of 20 tankers and 6 cargo ships would arrive. This task force had gone through the submarine zone of the South Pacific, where cargo ships only traveled in convoy and under escort.
To handle the work, he split his inspection team and conscripted enlisted men to help each inspector. His goal was to make it through all thirty ships on his list by dark. Under regular circumstances, the level of detail he would assign to each ship would be criminally negligent, but in times of war allowances were made.
Lieutenants Jerry Ackerman and John Tournelle typically work as a team. They enter the office, asking about the gathering of men cooling their heals outside of his office. Hanover assigns each of them a clipboard. Each has a different ship to inspect. Each is told to pick two people from those assembled outside to help them, and told to be back in Hanover's office by 10:00 for their next assignment.
His morning report indicated that two large freighters and a small freighter would both finish maintenance this morning and be ready for cargo. Two weeks earlier, Allied Command had warned Hanover that the hub system for distributing cargo would come to an end. Using the hub system, cargo was shipped from San Francisco to a major local port and unloaded. That port would then reload a local ship to carry the supplies to nearby lesser ports. Allied Command had decided that the time spent loading and unloading cargo was wasteful, and would ship supplies directly from San Francisco to the local harbor.
To organize his shipments, Hanover used a different section of each warehouse where he assembled the specialized equipment for each port. Wake Island, for example, was building massive defensive fortifications, so its section of the warehouse contained stacks pallets of cement bags and long bundles of rebar. It also held spare parts for Wildcat fighters, Catalina seaplanes, and Mitchell bombers. When Hanover felt that a shipment was ready to be loaded, he topped it off with food and ammunition and ordered the ship loaded. He kept a updated total if the cargo ready to go to each port, and the amount of spare warehouse space each port had available. As he looked through his list he stamped the two large cargo ships MIDWAY and JOHNSON, and the smaller ship WAKE. By midmorning the equipment stored in the warehouse sections assigned to these islands will start to make their way onto the ships.
At midmorning, the crews return with their reports and are sent off to their next assignment. Hanover looks at the preliminary findings. Maine and Kailua went through some very heavy weather on their way to their destinations. Fourty foot waves popped a strings of rivets in both ships. Maine was so badly twisted that two of her watertight doors would not open.
Hanover filled out a set of papers on each ship, signed them at the appropriate places, and called his assistant into his office. "Have these two ships report to the navy yard. If we need to perform this much maintenance on them, we should at least turn them into something useful." The paperwork reported that both ships were to be turned into repair ships -- a six month facelift that will transform the cargo hold of each ship into machine shops for taking care of combat ships near the front lines.
Later in the day, he would receive a report that the large cargo ship Nightingale, which was also in need of extensive maintenance. Hanover decided that it would become a Destroyer Tender, and filled out the paperwork.
Hanover knew that the fuel storage tanks at Los Angeles were packed to the gills with fuel, and its ship yards were being underutilized. So, he dealt with the twenty tankers easily enough. Inspections found nothing more than routine maintenance required for each of them, so he told the tankers to fill up their own gas tanks locally and head on south to Los Angeles for maintenance and cargo.
By nightfall, the crews had only made it through twenty of the thirty ships that had entered port that day. Hanover could not stomach the thought of having them sit idle through the night, so he ordered his inspection crews to work late into the evening. All of the remaining ships were found seaworthy after standard maintenance -- replacing a few rivets, putting on a fresh coat of paint to protect from rust, replacing broken instruments and getting into the engines. The tankers were formed into a convoy to leave in the morning, with a destroyer and minesweeper assigned the task of protecting them from Japanese submarines. The rest of the ships were hauled to the maintenance yards, and room was made for the ships that would be arriving the next day.
At 2:00 in the morning, Lieutenant Hanover made it to bed. But he would be at work again at 7:00 the next morning, an hour earlier than his duty required.
Port Moresby Attacked Again
(TN - Brisbane) For the second day in a row, Japan launched a major attack on Port Moresby using Zero fighters and Betty bombers from Rabaul. Little damage was reported. Strategic planners at Southwest Pacific Command have been watching the progress of TF1083, a mission to mine the harbor at Port Moresby. At dusk, the task force was 100 miles from Port Moresby. Southwest Pacific Command is certain that it will be able to reach the port by dawn and begin its mission, giving hope to the thought that supplies and reinforcements can continue to safely reach the port.
Meanwhile, further west, Task Force 1107 continues to travel north to deliver its supplies and reinforcements to Thursday Island.
In addition, spotter planes are reporting the presence of a task force with at least three battleships north of Buna. Southwest Pacific Command noticed the surface combat force stationed in Sag Sag for the past week. It recently sortied from this port heading south. Military Intelligence believes that this is the same battleship task force spotted several weeks ago, which Nimitz' carriers attempted to intercept. Presently, Nimitz' carriers are in Ackland, New Zealand, undergoing maintenance.
Military Command will be paying close attention to this task force.
Allies Lose One Port Per Day
(TN - Washington) Allied Command reported that the Japanese were finishing operations to take control of the Philippine port of Guiuan yesterday, and were starting operations to take control of the Borneo port of Jesselton.
Air Force Raids Rangoon
(TN - Dacca) After the devastating raid on the airfield at Akyab, Southeast Asia Command tried its luck yesterday on the airfields at Rangoon. However, poor weather and poor planning resulted in only thirty heavy bombers made it to the target. Nearly four dozen Japanese fighters rose to intercept the bombers. The fighters inflicted significant damage on many of the bombers, yet the damaged planes returned all of their crews to Dacca, where mechanics immediately went to work making the planes airworthy again.
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.
SAN FRAN. PORTS HUSTLE
(TN - San Francisco) San Francisco is quickly becoming the busiest port of the Pacific War. With hundreds of thousands of tons of supplies, and hundreds of thousands of soldiers and their equipment, flowing through the port, the job of keeping the war machine running smoothly is a demanding one. Thayne News sent a reporter to San Francisco Harbor to learn how this essential part of the war effort runs.
Major Jack Hannover arrives at work each morning at 7:00 am. He is not due in until 8:00, but he wants to make sure that he has a handle on the day's activities before his crews arrive.
Hannover was assigned to San Francisco Harbor on December 20th, 1941. As leaders of the free world met to discuss the war effort, they realized that dozens of supply vessels would be arriving from Australia and New Zealand to pick up supplies for those countries. Eight battleships and assorted other ships were on their way from Pearl Harbor were also on their way to San Francisco for repairs. The ports along the western seaboard were loading an ever growing amount of men and material onto ships for the Pacific each day.
Allied Command assigned Hanover the task of making sure that all of this went smoothly.
A report is sitting on Hanover's desk when he arrives,, telling him that five large merchant ships had come in during the night. They had come from the South Pacific islands and contained little more than the personal belongings of civilians wanting to flee the battle zone, so they were basically empty. Hanover prepared assignments for his inspection crews and would send them out to look at the ships first thing. He would decide their fate depending on their level of wear and tear.
This was routine. Each day, Hanover could expect a small number of ships coming from distant ports. However, Hanover had to get things organized for later in the day, when a task force of 20 tankers and 6 cargo ships would arrive. This task force had gone through the submarine zone of the South Pacific, where cargo ships only traveled in convoy and under escort.
To handle the work, he split his inspection team and conscripted enlisted men to help each inspector. His goal was to make it through all thirty ships on his list by dark. Under regular circumstances, the level of detail he would assign to each ship would be criminally negligent, but in times of war allowances were made.
Lieutenants Jerry Ackerman and John Tournelle typically work as a team. They enter the office, asking about the gathering of men cooling their heals outside of his office. Hanover assigns each of them a clipboard. Each has a different ship to inspect. Each is told to pick two people from those assembled outside to help them, and told to be back in Hanover's office by 10:00 for their next assignment.
His morning report indicated that two large freighters and a small freighter would both finish maintenance this morning and be ready for cargo. Two weeks earlier, Allied Command had warned Hanover that the hub system for distributing cargo would come to an end. Using the hub system, cargo was shipped from San Francisco to a major local port and unloaded. That port would then reload a local ship to carry the supplies to nearby lesser ports. Allied Command had decided that the time spent loading and unloading cargo was wasteful, and would ship supplies directly from San Francisco to the local harbor.
To organize his shipments, Hanover used a different section of each warehouse where he assembled the specialized equipment for each port. Wake Island, for example, was building massive defensive fortifications, so its section of the warehouse contained stacks pallets of cement bags and long bundles of rebar. It also held spare parts for Wildcat fighters, Catalina seaplanes, and Mitchell bombers. When Hanover felt that a shipment was ready to be loaded, he topped it off with food and ammunition and ordered the ship loaded. He kept a updated total if the cargo ready to go to each port, and the amount of spare warehouse space each port had available. As he looked through his list he stamped the two large cargo ships MIDWAY and JOHNSON, and the smaller ship WAKE. By midmorning the equipment stored in the warehouse sections assigned to these islands will start to make their way onto the ships.
At midmorning, the crews return with their reports and are sent off to their next assignment. Hanover looks at the preliminary findings. Maine and Kailua went through some very heavy weather on their way to their destinations. Fourty foot waves popped a strings of rivets in both ships. Maine was so badly twisted that two of her watertight doors would not open.
Hanover filled out a set of papers on each ship, signed them at the appropriate places, and called his assistant into his office. "Have these two ships report to the navy yard. If we need to perform this much maintenance on them, we should at least turn them into something useful." The paperwork reported that both ships were to be turned into repair ships -- a six month facelift that will transform the cargo hold of each ship into machine shops for taking care of combat ships near the front lines.
Later in the day, he would receive a report that the large cargo ship Nightingale, which was also in need of extensive maintenance. Hanover decided that it would become a Destroyer Tender, and filled out the paperwork.
Hanover knew that the fuel storage tanks at Los Angeles were packed to the gills with fuel, and its ship yards were being underutilized. So, he dealt with the twenty tankers easily enough. Inspections found nothing more than routine maintenance required for each of them, so he told the tankers to fill up their own gas tanks locally and head on south to Los Angeles for maintenance and cargo.
By nightfall, the crews had only made it through twenty of the thirty ships that had entered port that day. Hanover could not stomach the thought of having them sit idle through the night, so he ordered his inspection crews to work late into the evening. All of the remaining ships were found seaworthy after standard maintenance -- replacing a few rivets, putting on a fresh coat of paint to protect from rust, replacing broken instruments and getting into the engines. The tankers were formed into a convoy to leave in the morning, with a destroyer and minesweeper assigned the task of protecting them from Japanese submarines. The rest of the ships were hauled to the maintenance yards, and room was made for the ships that would be arriving the next day.
At 2:00 in the morning, Lieutenant Hanover made it to bed. But he would be at work again at 7:00 the next morning, an hour earlier than his duty required.
Port Moresby Attacked Again
(TN - Brisbane) For the second day in a row, Japan launched a major attack on Port Moresby using Zero fighters and Betty bombers from Rabaul. Little damage was reported. Strategic planners at Southwest Pacific Command have been watching the progress of TF1083, a mission to mine the harbor at Port Moresby. At dusk, the task force was 100 miles from Port Moresby. Southwest Pacific Command is certain that it will be able to reach the port by dawn and begin its mission, giving hope to the thought that supplies and reinforcements can continue to safely reach the port.
Meanwhile, further west, Task Force 1107 continues to travel north to deliver its supplies and reinforcements to Thursday Island.
In addition, spotter planes are reporting the presence of a task force with at least three battleships north of Buna. Southwest Pacific Command noticed the surface combat force stationed in Sag Sag for the past week. It recently sortied from this port heading south. Military Intelligence believes that this is the same battleship task force spotted several weeks ago, which Nimitz' carriers attempted to intercept. Presently, Nimitz' carriers are in Ackland, New Zealand, undergoing maintenance.
Military Command will be paying close attention to this task force.
Allies Lose One Port Per Day
(TN - Washington) Allied Command reported that the Japanese were finishing operations to take control of the Philippine port of Guiuan yesterday, and were starting operations to take control of the Borneo port of Jesselton.
Air Force Raids Rangoon
(TN - Dacca) After the devastating raid on the airfield at Akyab, Southeast Asia Command tried its luck yesterday on the airfields at Rangoon. However, poor weather and poor planning resulted in only thirty heavy bombers made it to the target. Nearly four dozen Japanese fighters rose to intercept the bombers. The fighters inflicted significant damage on many of the bombers, yet the damaged planes returned all of their crews to Dacca, where mechanics immediately went to work making the planes airworthy again.
TF 1083 MINES PORT MORESBY
April 7, 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.
TF 1083 MINES PORT MORESBY
(TN - Townsend) Task Force 1083 successfully completed its mission to mine Port Moresby harbor yesterday, raising hopes that supplies and reinforcements can continue to reach the port as well. The task force dropped over 500 mines in the harbor on a carefully plotted track that leaves a narrow channel to the shore. The mines place another obstacle to a Japanese attack on the port. Japan is expected to have great difficulty getting a substantial army over the mountains from Buna, and will likely attempt to take Port Moresby by sea.
The 7th Australian Division at Townsend has been ordered to prepare to reinforce Port Moresby, as soon as the task force presently delivering reinforcements to Thursday Island returns. Task Force 1107 is expected to arrive at Thursday Island in two day, though it will take several days to unload its cargo from the ship, given its small port.
In addition, Port Moresby has been subject to daily air raids from Rabaul. To counter raids, General Thompson has ordered a squadron of Kittyhawk fighters to the island, and withdrew the bomber squadrons stationed there to Thursday Island.
The Japanese surface fleet that has been sailing the waters north of Buna withdrew in the direction of Rabaul in the last twenty four hours, removing itself as a threat to the operations presently underway in the region of Port Moresby and Thursday Island.
Dutch Rescue Complete
(TN - Darwin) General Struyvesant, operating out of Darwin, reports that the operation to rescue Dutch soldiers from the Japanese islands is now complete. Transport airplanes operating out of Darwin brought in over 600 Dutch soldiers from Bulla to the north, and another 200 soldiers from Lautem on the island of Timor. Over 3,000 soldiers have been brought to Australia from the islands.
Allied Command hopes to rebuild the force from soldiers that continue to commandeer ships in the Dutch islands and sail them to Australia, as well as civilians who fled before as the Japanese invasion was taking place. Allied submarines are continuing to pick up soldiers stranded in the Dutch islands as well and bring them to Darwin.
General Struyvescent ordered all units in his command to prepare to occupy Aru Island to the north. As his units are rebuilt and retrained, they will be flown to the island. In the mean time, the British 107th RAN Base Force Engineers will be transported to Aru Island to work on an airstrip and hold the island.
Japan Captures Jesselton, Lands At Benkolen
(TN - Darwin) Continuing its schedule of capturing a port a day, Japan took control of Jesselton on the island of Borneo yesterday, and landed troops at Benkolen on the island of Sumatra. The garrison at Benkolen has been subject to heavy bombing for over a month, and has been cut off since Japan took the ports at Batavia and Palembang and took control of the skies. Radio reports from Benkolen report that the garrison is on half rations and solders have been spending most of their time harvesting food from the jungle. The shortage of supplies suggest that Japan will have little trouble adding this port to its list of treasure.
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.
TF 1083 MINES PORT MORESBY
(TN - Townsend) Task Force 1083 successfully completed its mission to mine Port Moresby harbor yesterday, raising hopes that supplies and reinforcements can continue to reach the port as well. The task force dropped over 500 mines in the harbor on a carefully plotted track that leaves a narrow channel to the shore. The mines place another obstacle to a Japanese attack on the port. Japan is expected to have great difficulty getting a substantial army over the mountains from Buna, and will likely attempt to take Port Moresby by sea.
The 7th Australian Division at Townsend has been ordered to prepare to reinforce Port Moresby, as soon as the task force presently delivering reinforcements to Thursday Island returns. Task Force 1107 is expected to arrive at Thursday Island in two day, though it will take several days to unload its cargo from the ship, given its small port.
In addition, Port Moresby has been subject to daily air raids from Rabaul. To counter raids, General Thompson has ordered a squadron of Kittyhawk fighters to the island, and withdrew the bomber squadrons stationed there to Thursday Island.
The Japanese surface fleet that has been sailing the waters north of Buna withdrew in the direction of Rabaul in the last twenty four hours, removing itself as a threat to the operations presently underway in the region of Port Moresby and Thursday Island.
Dutch Rescue Complete
(TN - Darwin) General Struyvesant, operating out of Darwin, reports that the operation to rescue Dutch soldiers from the Japanese islands is now complete. Transport airplanes operating out of Darwin brought in over 600 Dutch soldiers from Bulla to the north, and another 200 soldiers from Lautem on the island of Timor. Over 3,000 soldiers have been brought to Australia from the islands.
Allied Command hopes to rebuild the force from soldiers that continue to commandeer ships in the Dutch islands and sail them to Australia, as well as civilians who fled before as the Japanese invasion was taking place. Allied submarines are continuing to pick up soldiers stranded in the Dutch islands as well and bring them to Darwin.
General Struyvescent ordered all units in his command to prepare to occupy Aru Island to the north. As his units are rebuilt and retrained, they will be flown to the island. In the mean time, the British 107th RAN Base Force Engineers will be transported to Aru Island to work on an airstrip and hold the island.
Japan Captures Jesselton, Lands At Benkolen
(TN - Darwin) Continuing its schedule of capturing a port a day, Japan took control of Jesselton on the island of Borneo yesterday, and landed troops at Benkolen on the island of Sumatra. The garrison at Benkolen has been subject to heavy bombing for over a month, and has been cut off since Japan took the ports at Batavia and Palembang and took control of the skies. Radio reports from Benkolen report that the garrison is on half rations and solders have been spending most of their time harvesting food from the jungle. The shortage of supplies suggest that Japan will have little trouble adding this port to its list of treasure.
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Central Blue
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Maj. Hannover
Thayne...
I enjoyed your piece on Maj.Hannover of the Army Transportation Command, San Francisco Port of Embarkation, HQ Fort Mason.
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/wwIIbayarea/mas.htm
Major Hannover's domain would also have included the Oakland Army Terminal:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ ... akland.htm
Have your reporters check Hannover's rank. He would have to be able to cut it with all kinds of shipping executives, not to mention the boarding agents, chandlers, Hollywood actors, and what not, coming under his command as reserve officers.
http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/history/wwii/rr.htm
I enjoyed your piece on Maj.Hannover of the Army Transportation Command, San Francisco Port of Embarkation, HQ Fort Mason.
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/wwIIbayarea/mas.htm
Major Hannover's domain would also have included the Oakland Army Terminal:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ ... akland.htm
Have your reporters check Hannover's rank. He would have to be able to cut it with all kinds of shipping executives, not to mention the boarding agents, chandlers, Hollywood actors, and what not, coming under his command as reserve officers.
http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/history/wwii/rr.htm
USS St. Louis firing on Guam, July 1944. The Cardinals and Browns faced each other in the World Series that year
