The Brink Of Disaster 3X3 AAR

[GaryChildress]

The limits of Japanese expansion as of 12-20-41. DEI is moving slowly but expansion toward the southeast is very rapid. It appears that our esteemed opponents are going for cutting off shipping lanes from the West Coast to Australia.

[scott64]

[scott64]

[GaryChildress]

[center]Sector report 12/23/41[/center]

My sector has seen a little action the past couple days.

The hero of our story is USS Enterprise. Enterprise was dispatched to Wake just before the failed first invasion attempt. When the Japanese invaders were successfully repelled the first time, just before Enterprise arrived, she stayed in the vacinity of Midway for a little while with her planes set on ASW opperations. PBYs were then dispatched to Wake for long range patrol duties. These PBY's picked up two enemy task forces about one day out and closing, one from the northwest and one from the southwest.

It was pretty clear that the task force coming form the southwest was an invasion force consisting of transports and escorts. But the one coming from the northwest? It was a little suspicious. Several BBs and CAs were reported in the force. Was it KB or was it merely another bombardment task force?

On the 20th Enterprise was ordered to proceed at all ahead full straight for Wake Island, and set up to arrive 120 miles to the northeast of Wake. Big surprise ahead for Tojo! That night what turned out to be a Japanese bombardment TF hit Wake with everything it had. As dawn approached on December 21st scout planes from the Enterprise and PBYs from Wake found what turned out to be BB Ise and several escorts. In the afternoon Enterprise sortied 34 Dauntless and 18 Devastators. Fighers were kept close to home in case KB was anywhere around. After a grueling air to surface battle, 3 1000lb bomb hits were scored on BB Ise, although with minimal damage. CLs Yubari and Tatsuta were both heavily damaged with 1 and 2 bomb hits respectively, and with a long way to home. Also hit were CLs Tenryu and Kitakami both reported to be "on fire."

Wake Island was captured by the Japanese invaders, however, Enterprise was ordered to remain in the area one more day. As transports continued unloading on Wake the Big "E" sortied another 30 Dauntless' and 10 Devastators. This time the avenging planes of Big "E" found a harbor full of transports! All told 3 transports and 4 escorts came away heavily damaged!

A toast to our hero of the day Big "E"!!!!

Now Big "E" just has to get the @#$% out of Dodge and back to safety before KB shows up! Keep Big "E" in your prayers the next couple turns please! [:)]

Gary Childress
CIC Central Pacific

[GaryChildress]

[center]The Strategic Picture in the East 12/23/41 [/center]

Several more Islands have falled to the Japanese, including Nukufetau and Nanomea in the South. It looks as if a noose is being tightened around Australia. In order to cheat the hangman's rope my transport TFs will have to give wider birth to the encroaching Japanese. That means less direct routes which will take longer for vital supplies and war materials to reach Scott. Something will have to be done in the near future but what?

Our only hope is that the Japanese over extend themselves. USS Yorktown is due to arrive in theatre in another 15 days. With four carriers I should be able to wreck havoc upon the Japanese outposts.

[GaryChildress]

Here's todays distinguished unit of honor the Big "E" pulling out of PH prior to arriving at Wake Island on the 21st of December to strike havoc into the Japanese landing forces. Although we lost Wake, Enterprise made the Japs pay for it. I just hope she gets home safe.



edit: photo courtesy of http://www.cv6.org/noumea/ouemo.asp?uri ... z--5000014

[scott64]

I am shipping out resources and oil as fast as I can out of DEI and let them be on their merry way to OZ. [X(] [:'(][:D][:)]

[GaryChildress]

[center]The tightening noose around Australia[/center]
[center]12/24/41[/center]

[font="Courier New"][center]---TOP SECRET---[/center][/font]

Funafuti fell to the Japanese today uncontested. The only thing standing between the Japanese now and the complete encirclement of Australia are the 26th FA Bde and the 8th NZ Bde based on Suva. 2nd Marines along with some a/c, supplies and fuel are on their way to Scott down in Australia. If things get too stickly down there, 2nd Marines could conceivably make a stop on one of the Islands.

Meanwhile reinforcements are on their way to Canton Island, including a regiment from the USA 27th Div.


[center]Operation Linchpin[/center]

Now here's the really top secret stuff I want to discuss. Don't, I repeat Don't, tell the Emporer's Champions AAR about this, but I've set USA 24th Div based on Oahu to train for Tarawa, along with 98th Cst AA Rgt and 183rd FA Rgt in San Francisco.

The Plan: I see Tarawa as the linchpin to the entire Japanese southerly advance upon my shipping lanes to Australia. If I can take Tarawa and garrison it with a strong force, I believe I can prevent supplies and further expansion from reaching south. With minimal effort, Tarawa can be turned into a strike base for bombers to hit supply and reinforcement task forces headed south from Kwajalein to Funafuti and the rest of the Islands guarding my shipping lanes to Australia.

The problem: Tarawa is within range of land based bombers stationed on Kwajalein. I'll need to cover my invasion force with Carriers and get fighters operating on Tarawa as quick as possible. I have 2 and 1/2 squadrons of eager USMC fighter pilots waiting to avenge Pearl Harbor and I plan on putting them all on Tarawa, along with bombers and patrol planes.

When: I won't say at this point. Let's just say preparations are in the earliest stages and will be for the next few turns.


If I can pull this off I hope to both unhinge the entire southerly advance of the Japanese in the Eastern Pacific and permanently occupy KB (which has dangerously popped up off the coast of Brunei headed toward Palembang) with the mission of retaking Tarawa. Once Tarawa is taken and supplies to more distant southern Islands have been cut off I can take back the other Islands at my leisure, perhaps even use one or two of them as a bombing range to train pilots and ships on.

[GaryChildress]

Besides transports, If I had another 15 or 20 DDs I could really get what I want accomplished. Who needs BBs? I'd gladly trade a couple BBs for a dozen DDs.

Here's a poster for sore eyes courtesy of http://www.library.northwestern.edu/gov ... 646-66.jpg

[scott64]

Sydney
Looks like the noose is tighening around OZ. Southern Pacific HQ has taken steps to minimize the effect of this noose. All capable NZ INF and CD guns will report to Noumea or Lunga. Lunga reference point will be after it is retaken. Port Morsbey is be held at all costs. All available Australian INF units will embark to PM. 3rd Australian Tank Bdge is almost at its departure location of Cairns. It wil sail to PM and will help support our troops already there. Resources and oil are still flowing into Darwin. This is coming from allpoints in DEI. From Palembang, Kendari, Balikiplan, and all point in between. Units in Phillipines are fighting a stalling engaugement until they are ordered to pull out.


[:'(]

[GaryChildress]

[center]12/25/41[/center]

We had a short sabatical here while one of our PBEM members had to tend to some things in that greatest PBEM game of them all called Real Life. But we seem to be back on track now. Here's the latest news out of my sector.

Submarines, blasted submarines: With the exception of some submarine "action" near Kwajalein (well more like "Hey look! I'm an allied submarine and I'm right here") not much in the way of combat happened on the 25th in my zone.

An SOC-3 Seagull from one of the cruisers escorting "Lady Lex" spotted what appears to be a single Japanese submarine cruising SW toward Palmyra Atoll. Lexington TF doesn't seem to be in any danger though. A Glen from possibly another sub nearby, however, has spotted TF 1150 which is carrying an infantry rgt to Johnson Island. I probably should have ordered the TF to start zig zagging but didn't. I'd rather see the TF make it to Johnson a bit quicker. I hope I made the right decision.

A prior victim of one of Bob's subs, I-22, has made it safely back to PH. It was about halfway between PH and SF when it was torpedoed but somehow managed to limp back to PH. I'm somewhat relieved as the cargo was a portion of 161st RCT. The rest of the 161st made it safely to Midway and has since disembarked.

Fortress Pacific: Midway is looking strong. I have it garrisoned with 1 RCT, 1 FA Rgt, 1 AA Rgt, and 1 CD Bn. I also have one squadron form the 5th BG stationed there and set on ASW patrol. Another sqdn from 5th BG is now stationed on Palmyra, set on ASW patrol. I hope to catch the submarine spotted by the Lexington TF with the B-17s of 5th BG.

Canton Island is still looking pretty precarious right now. PBYs on Canton have picked up enemy ships gathered at Baker Island. I suspect they may be re-embarking the troops that took baker and may yet head toward Canton. I'm not sure how strong the enemy LCU is but all I have on Canton at this point is a base force. An infantry Rgt is on its way but is still about 4 or 5 days out. Also arriving soon will be 9000 supply and a Cst AA Rgt. As soon as the supplies arrive I'll station a sqdn of B-17s on Canton and start using Baker as target practice! Fortunately Saratoga is headed full steam toward the mid point between Baker and Canton and is only 1 1/2 days out from there. She should be able to catch any invasion force which may be headed toward Canton and keep the area under control until reinfocements arrive.

Johnson and Palmyra will soon have infantry Rgts on them in the next couple days. They already have CD and AA units.

KB, Way Out of the Picture: KB is gradually withdrawing to the NE from where it popped up near Brunei. This is an encouraging sign for me at least. It gives me possibly a week and more to run around unmolested in my zone. However, I am hoping that KB will depart the DEI and come back to me. I'd rather have it in the East than in DEI. I'm hoping that my carriers will attract some attention if they can intercept an invasion TF or two and maybe agitate the Japanese into bringing KB back to me. Well, maybe there is a sadistic side to me after all. [:)]

Miscellany: I touched up on a few other areas. Midway has had its port expansion on halt all this time, so I started it to expand. I also set the TF carrying 2nd Marines to full speed in order to get it to Scott sooner. I'm more concerned with timeliness than wear and tear on ships right now. My mine layers are all nearly at system damage 10 right now. I'll park them at PH for a while and then set them off to reinforce the minefields already laid around Palmyra, Midway and Johnson. 153rd RCT stationed in Nome Alaska has been given orders to march to Anchorage. Nome is worth a whopping 45 PPs but I'm going to gamble that Japan isn't going to try to expend the resources to invade what, for all it knows, will be a garrison of 1 RCT in order to successfully capture a base which I don't think would be of much strategic importance.

Below is a list of all allied ships sunk so far. The Japanese have lost 4 more than the Allies (that we know of) however with the loss of Nevada the Allies are behind almost 2:1 in VPs for ships sunk.

[GaryChildress]

Below is a snapshot of the race against the clock to get Canton Island beefed up. There's a Jap task force at Baker either re-embarking or disembarking. Of course, ultimately the Japanese may simply be pulling out of Baker and headed back home. In that case I have a few subs to the N and NW of Baker ready to hopefully pick off one or two transports.

Once I get Canton secured I'll be able to consider a little more fully Operation Linchpin which is briefly discussed several posts above.

[GaryChildress]

[center]12/26/41[/center]

[font="Courier New"] [center]---TOP SECRET--- [/center] [/font]

I don't know if you can read all the helter skelter on my map below but that task force which was parked at Baker Island is now gone. Either the PBYs from Canton failed to spot them again at Baker; or they slipped past my sub screen back to Tarawa or Kwajalein; or they may be headed toward Suva and other islands to the SW; or they may be headed toward Palmyra to the NE.

I have CV Lexington headed toward a probable intercept point in case they're headed toward Palmyra and CV Saratoga headed toward an intercept point in case they may be headed either toward Canton or toward the SW. I think I have my bases covered. I don't want any more Southerly expansion on the part of the Japanese if I can help it.

As you can see below there's also a few TFs headed toward Canton and one TF of empty transports on its way back to Pearl. Shhhhh....those empty transports include APs which I may use in the invasion of Tarawa if circumstances permit (ie. if KB is no where near).

Right now KB must be somewhere in the South China Sea. They've disappeared again. Bob, Marc and Alex (our esteemed opponents) seem to be doing a good job of using KB more as a potential threat than as an actual one. It's hard to plan anything major, not knowing where KB is. I figure I have at least a week or two before they can make it back to my area.

There's a Japanese sub somewhere near my troop task force headed to Johnson Island. A Glen was spotted in the vacinity shadowing the TF. I have three DDs escorting the TF. I just hope that's enough to scare off the enemy. In two days they should be at Johnson.

[scott64]

I am planning an invasion of Lunga. Hopefully I can pull it off. I have two NZ brigades on their way from Auckland. A small TF of cruisers will join up before the invasion fleet makes contact. Other parts of my realm, TF of resources and oil are starting to arrive in Darwin, more are to arrive in Adelaie, Perth, and Broome. A transport TF is on its way to Tasmainia to pick up the base forces and they will be transported to Luganville, Lunga, when taken back, Gili Gili and PM. The 2nd Australian Tank Brigade is on its way to PM from Townsville. I will be also taking more partial INF units out of PI. ABDA is now sitting in Broome and Asiatic Fleet is almost at Darwin. Ttranspors from Gary's theater will be arriving in the next couple of weeks. News at 11. [:'(][:)][8D]

[GaryChildress]

[center]Strategic Situation CBI and Malaya[/center]

[center]12/26/41[/center]

Ken (a/k/a Nomad) is juggling a few PBEMs right now so I'll try to give a short report on his sector. He is of course commander of forces in CBI and Malaya.

Things are looking pretty bleak as can be expected in Malaya. Kuantan, Alor Star, and Khota Bharu have all fallen to the onslaught of the Japanese, but Nomad is putting up a vicious defense and not giving any ground without a fight. Hopefully this will buy time for Scott to pull as much out of DEI as he can.

27th Australian Bde. is on it's way to safely, however, 22nd Australian Bde is still in Johore Bharu. I'm not sure what Ken's plans are for them. We'll just have to see what he has planned, whether they are going to put up a last ditch defense for Singapore to stall for time or whether they get pulled out to fight another day.

Scott didn't mention it but PoW and Repulse had a near miss with KB back near Palembang. KB showed up off Borneo headed in that direction. It looked like PoW and Repulse were mincemeat but KB suddenly turned around (apparently unaware of what was only about 300 miles to the West of them) and headed back into the abyss of the South China Sea from which it came.

KB would have caught PoW and Repulse with significant battle damage from an encounter with a Jap TF landing troops at Kuching on the Island of Borneo. Scott got some bad die rolls on that prior encounter. Believe it or not 2 CLs and several Jap DDs managed to open a can of you know what with their "long lance" torpedos on a BB and BC! Don't ask how. I'm still scratching my head over that one!

The Chinese army is slowly but surely loosing ground as well. Changsa fell to an overwhelming force of over 100,000 Japanese troops! Can anything stop the Japanese?

So far no real clashes have occured in Burma. Rangoon was abandoned in favor of letting the majority of its defenders fight another day instead of being sealed in that death trap. Ken is pulling slightly back to a couple more defendable positions.

Probably most importantly, Ken has been trickling supplies into Malaya to keep up the fight as well as sending supplies to Scott in Australia. Australia is going to need all the help it can get in the coming months to keep itself and the engines of war going. Unfortunately supplies from my theatre have to take the long way to Scott as the Japanese seem to be slowly cutting off the approaches from my side.

[GaryChildress]

We're in a lull between receiving the turn with some time to kill so I though I would kill a little time instead of the enemy. Here's a little piece of nostalgia from the 40's...the ever famous pin up girl! In this case we have Maureen O'Hara courtesty of http://www.skylighters.org/photos/pinups.html

Now this is something worth fighting for! A face like that could launch more than 1000 ships!

If this doesn't make you want to jump out of a landing craft, face first into a rain of bullets, or fly straight into the middle of a sea of exploding flak, or climb into the cockpit of an Oka flying bomb which doesn't have landing gear for a very good reason, nothing will. But it's an empty promise, isn't it? You could do all that and Maureen O'Hara still wouldn't fall into your lap.



How strange it is...we who marvel at the wonders of existence should fight wars which have no other purpose than to end it prematurely.

"In our early youth we sit before the life that lies ahead of us like children sitting before the curtain in a theatre, in happy and tense anticipation of whatever is going to appear. Luckily we do not know what really will appear." -- Arthur Schopenhauer (greatest philosophical pessimist of them all)

[:)]

[GaryChildress]

[center]12/27/41[/center]
[center]Central Pacific Theatre of Operations[/center]

OK, enough waxing philosophical! We're back into the thick of action!

[center][font="Courier New"] ---TOP SECRET--- [/font][/center]

Japs Pressing Further South: Wallis Island has fallen to the Japanese as they continue their relentless drive south. The transports at Baker Island popped up on the map again. They must have been there the whole time only the PBYs from Canton hadn't re-located them yesterday from the turn prior.

Wallis Island puts a whole new emphasis on the need to counterattack. Wallis has the potential airfield size of two which means that over building can create a size 5 airfield there. Right now air capacity is 0 but if they can get Mavis' on that Island and some carriers in the vacinity, I'm in big trouble--not to mention if they can build the airfield up to a size 5! I'll have to go clear around the bottom of the map to safely get anything to Scott!

Wallis will not go unavenged: Fortunately CV Saratoga is not too far away from Wallis. When the enemy TF was again picked up at Baker I., Saratoga was within 4 hexes of it and quickly launched the following airstrike against the enemy TF there:



Day Air attack on TF, near Baker Island at 94,92


Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 15
SBD Dauntless x 34


Allied aircraft losses
SBD Dauntless: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
AP Tatuharu Maru
CL Katori, Bomb hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
PC Kyo Maru #6, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AP Kashima Maru, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
AP Kaito Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

Aircraft Attacking:
1 x SBD Dauntless bombing at 2000 feet
1 x SBD Dauntless bombing at 2000 feet
4 x SBD Dauntless bombing at 2000 feet
4 x SBD Dauntless bombing at 2000 feet
4 x SBD Dauntless bombing at 2000 feet
4 x SBD Dauntless bombing at 2000 feet
4 x SBD Dauntless bombing at 2000 feet
4 x SBD Dauntless bombing at 2000 feet
4 x SBD Dauntless bombing at 2000 feet
4 x SBD Dauntless bombing at 2000 feet


Saratoga has since been ordered to proceed at full speed in the direction of Wallis Island. She should be within striking range of the enemy transports there by tomorrow--weather permitting (forecast is for the sky to be overcast).

Bad weather ahead: Of slightly more concern to me is CV Lexington which is headed full steam toward Baker Island now and is about one day away, in an attempt to pick up where Saratoga's strike planes left off. The forecast is for thunderstorms, however, which could give the remaining Jap transports the opportunity to sneak out from under my thumb under cover of bad weather.

Miscellany: The rest of my theatre seems to be progressing well. The transports have made it safetly to Johnson Island and 27th USA/A Div. is in the initial process of disembarking (if you remember I was a little worried about a Glen from a Japanese sub which was shadowing the convoy). 27th USA/B Div. is one hex away from Palmyra. This should secure the perimeter around PH for now.

Canton should be looking pretty strong as well soon as forces begin to arrive within the next few days. Right now PH is my main hub for supplies and reinforcements to the rest of the central Pacific. Everything goes from San Francisco there and from there to the rest of my islands which need the supplies or reinforcements. This should limit the number of targets Bob's subs have to shoot at coming from the West Coast. Coronados based in Los Angeles have already spotted a sub just off the coast (and out of bomber range). Of course Bob may catch on and put his subs on patrol around PH. But at least there I have land based B-17s set on ASW patrol which can chase them away. Right now all I have on the West Coast are shorter range Bolos and Bostons.

Of honorable mention: And last but not least of mention is CV Enterprise, our hero from an earlier strike against Jap transports at Wake (BTW over the past few turns since Enterprise's successful forray at Wake, which is mentioned several posts above, our intelligence has received confirmation of the sinking of most all of the enemy ships hit at Wake, as they made their way back toward Kwajalein). Enterprise is on her way back to PH for a short rest and to remain in reserve in case the enemy decides to attack Midway, Johnson or Palmyra while my other carriers are down south beating up on Tojo around Wallis and Baker Islands. Her system damage is up to 5 now from running around at full speed so a little r&r is probably a good thing.

I think Team Japan got what they wanted at Wake and is pretty well set unless they decide to go for Midway too. Below is a map of the situation down in the south-central part of my theatre where most of the action has shifted to:

[GaryChildress]

[center]12/28/41[/center]

[center]Central Pacific Theatre of Operations[/center]

[center]---TOP SECRET---[/center]

Remember I told you above that Lexington and Saratoga were being dispatched to strike Jap transports around Baker and Wallis Islands? Mission successful! Lady Lex and Sara hit them where it hurt! Among Japanese casualties near Baker Island was the CL Katori. Intelligence has confirmed a number of other ships sunk as well. Below is a summary of the day's carrier strikes.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day Air attack on TF, near Wallis Island at 93,107


Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 11
SBD Dauntless x 33


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
MSW Shonan Maru #7, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
PC Shonon Maru #10
AP Aratama Maru, Bomb hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
PG Hakkaisan Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
PG Fukui Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day Air attack on TF, near Baker Island at 94,92


Allied aircraft
SBD Dauntless x 34
TBD Devastator x 18


Allied aircraft losses
TBD Devastator: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
AP Chifuku Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AP Kotobuki Maru #3, Bomb hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
TK Gen'yo Maru
AP Kaito Maru, Bomb hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
PG Ikunta Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
PC Shonon Maru #15
AK Hirokawa Maru, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
AK Canton Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
PC Takunan Maru #2
DD Kuroshio, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
AP Kashima Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day Air attack on TF at 92,91


Allied aircraft
SBD Dauntless x 16


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
PC Kyo Maru #6, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
CL Katori, Bomb hits 8, on fire, heavy damage

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day Air attack on TF, near Baker Island at 94,92


Allied aircraft
SBD Dauntless x 16
TBD Devastator x 16


Allied aircraft losses
TBD Devastator: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
TK Gen'yo Maru
AK Canton Maru, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AP Tatuharu Maru, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Kuroshio, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AP Kotobuki Maru #3, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
PC Fumi Maru #3
PC Takunan Maru #2
AP Chifuku Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


But Wait! All is not rosey with this picture! Ken has pointed out to me the possibility that KB is not in the DEI after all. All we have so far are a number of sightings of a TF described as several CVs and several BBs. This could perhaps be baby KB escorted by a BB or CAs. This I hadn't taken into account. Could it be that I have been swept up by my early victories? Do I have "victory disease"? Have I perhaps over extended myself and jumped right into a Japanese trap? The next couple turns will tell. My next move now is to get the @#$% out of dodge. Ken could be right. I'm most worried about Lexington. She's a sitting duck around Baker Island. Saratoga I had ordered to change course and steam east after a Glen was spotted shadowing the TF. This will also allow her to rondevous with a waiting replenishment TF. But Lexington is still cruising around Baker to finish off the Jap transports there! Is this a trap? I'm starting to get a sinking feeling in my stomach, like I've stuck my neck out just a little too far.



Below is a map of the day's action. Note: Lexington in the upper left hand corner and Saratoga at the bottom of the map. There's probably enough distance there that if KB does pop up it won't be able to get both carriers unless it divides itself up.

[Nomad]

Well, I hope I am wrong, but what we thought was KB really could be Baby KB with a CS and a CA and/or BB. We will see what happens. My feeling at this time is to put all CV TFs on full speed and leave at once, and in different directions. Gary has done well damaging and/or sinking a number of IJN ships, and if he can extract himself it will be a real coup.

In Malaya, things are getting bleaker as the days go by. I have moved all Allied aircraft out of Malaya. I do not have aircraft or pilots that can compete with IJN Zero aircraft. I did get some supplies into Malaya and I have three more single ship AKs trying to take some more in, the crews are getting a huge bonus paycheck for that work.

China is not going badly but I may have to evacuate another city or two. The southern cities on the railroad are getting vulnerable. I will leave some forces in them and make the IJA move me out, but I think I may pull out some of the units and start setting up a defense line South of Chungking using the Forest and Mountain terrain to be found there. Plus he will have to move on roads and trails to assault me there.

[GaryChildress]

[center]12/30/41[/center]

[center]The Battle of the Phoenix Islands[/center]


[font="Courier New"][center] ---TOP SECRET--- [/center][/font]

As mentioned above, I left Lexington in the thick of action around Baker Island for an additional turn. Ken a/k/a Nomad, a seasoned veteran of PBEM play, has advised me against leaving her there any longer. Heeding this advice I have since ordered the "Lady Lex" to retire at full speed to the East. There aren't many ships left to sink around Baker which won't probably sink anyway on their trip back to port. CV Saratoga is heading at mission speed toward Pago-Pago to refuel and prepare to meet any further Jap invasion forces that show up in that area. (see map at bottom)

Still no sign of KB: We're just not sure where KB is. What I thought was KB seems to have turned out to be baby KB. I hope Lexington is able to make a clean get away. She has probably sunk a dozen enemy ships in her forray. Unfortunately they appear to have been empty transports. I didn't see any mention of Japanese casualties when it was confirmed that several ships had sunk.

Below is a summary of the day's airstrike by Lexington's planes:

Day Air attack on TF, near Baker Island at 94,92


Allied aircraft
SBD Dauntless x 34
TBD Devastator x 12


Allied aircraft losses
SBD Dauntless: 2 damaged
TBD Devastator: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
TK Gen'yo Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
PG Ikunta Maru, heavy damage
PC Takuna Maru #6, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
PC Fumi Maru #3, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
MSW Tama Maru #3
PG Chokai Maru, Bomb hits 1
AP Katsura Maru, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
PC Takunan Maru #2, Bomb hits 5, on fire, heavy damage





One thing concerns me, however. After already having sent the turn off to my team mates I have reconsidered my decision to send Saratoga south to Pago-Pago. Was it the right decision to make?