Matrix Games Forums

March 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 accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.


CHINA OCCUPIES LASHIO

(TN - Chunking) The Chinese scored another victory against Japan yesterday when the 38th Chinese Division marched into the Burmese city of Lashio. The Chinese division entered the town unopposed after coming down the Burma road, the trail originally constructed to carry supplies into China from Rangoon.

Now that they are in the valley, the 38th Division is planning to move as quickly as possible to also capture the town of Mandalay. If possible, it may then travel north again to Myitkyina to retake that town.

The occupation came as a part of a plan for the Chinese to put constant pressure on the Japanese in eastern Burma to tie up Japanese divisions that may otherwise seek to invade India. Since the outset of the plan, Chinese units have been moving slowly through the rough terrain from Yunan. The Japanese forced these units back several miles when they first took northern Burma. However, they apparently thought that the Chinese would sit back and build defensive lines. Instead, the units began a slow march back into Burma, proving that the Japanese were wrong to think that China was not a threat.

The move may be having an effect on Japanese movements already. Aerial reconnaissance of the hills northeast of Akyab, which the forces attacking Akyab have come through, show that at least one Japanese division has withdrawn. The whereabouts of this division is unknown, though the 38th Division strongly expects that it will meet the unit somewhere around Mandalay. If this is true, then the pressure on India has already been lessened, at least for the moment, by the Chinese maneuver.

Chinese units are also continuing to advance on Myitkyina using the overland route. They are still over a month's travel away from the town. However, even if the Japanese drive the 38th Chinese Division back into the mountains, they will face another threat soon enough.

Southeast Asia Command is also looking at the possibility that the 38th Division might break through northern Burma, and succeed in reaching northern India, adding its strength to the defenses that the British are trying to build against a Japanese invasion. A second Chinese division, the 93rd Division, is very close behind and also may reach northern India.

"At this point, it is wishful thinking," said one senior official at Southeast Asia Command. "It all depends on if the divisions can reach Mandalay before the Japanese move north to block them."


Continued Dutch Success Against Jap Reinforcements

(TN - Soerabaja) Yesterday's raids against Japanese reinforcement convoys in the Java sea scored three torpedo hits against a patrol gunboat, and two hits against a troop transport. The report from Allied Military Intelligence marks the patrol boat as "probably sunk". According to the reports, "You can scarcely find a light cruiser capable of surviving three torpedo hits."


Japan Assaults Intramuros, Manila

(TN - Manila) Japan, yesterday, launched a heavy assault at the fortified inner city of Intramuros, suffering heavy casualties. Military analysts theorize that Japan was trying to attack where an attack was not expected. They apparently were hoping that the Americans had weakened the fortification to reinforce other parts of their line. However, they discovered that the Allied had built a particularly strong defense at the Intramuros. The result was a loss of nearly 1500 soldiers for the Japanese, against 700 casualties for the defenders.

The American defenders have shown an unusual stubbornness in their defense, in spite of the fact that they are cut off and short of supplies, and there is no hope of relief in sight.


Japan Takes Madan, Sumatra

(TN - Soerabaja) Another Java port on the Melacca Straight is now in Japanese hands. Overnight, the Japanese put another 10,000 soldiers on the shore, enough to drive the Dutch defenders out of the city and into the jungle. The Madan defensive group is now attempting to retreat to Kuala, 100 miles to the west, before that city also falls to the Japanese.

March 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.


CHINESE DIVISION SURROUNDED

(TN - Dacca) The Chinese 38th Division charged south from Lashio to retake Mandalay yesterday, only to be cut from behind. The 33rd Division, which had been marching to Lashio from the Mandalay-Myitkyina valley, approached Lashio just as the Chinese 38th Division started south. At present, it stands ready to take control of the town from the small garrison which had been left behind. When it does so, the 38th Chinese Division will have its line of supply cut off, with an unknown number of units ahead of it.

Lieutenant General Zhu, the commander of the 38th Garrison, says that he is not looking at what is behind him. Zhu's plan is to break through to India, and to help the British in the defense of the northern cities of Dacca and Chadpur. According to Southeast Asia Command, Zhu is hoping to occupy Mandalay shortly, then retreat north to Myitkyina, where it hopes to reopen the road from India to China. Zhu expects that the Japanese will struggle to close the road quickly after that, at which time Zhu hopes to retreat to Ledo, then to Dacca.


US Carriers Raid Shortland, Buin

(TN - Noumea) After covering the mining operation at Gili Gili, Nimitz's carrier force sailed east for another strike against Japanese holdings in the Solomon Islands. This time, Nimitz' carriers targeted the Shortland Islands and the port of Buin. The raids were small and inflicted little damage, but were meant to serve as a warning to the Japanese to move slowly. Nimitz had been hoping to catch the next Japanese convoy they moved to take the islands in the lower Solomons, but so far no enemy ships have been seen.


Gen. Pownell Reveals Long-Term Strategy

(TN - Dacca) General Pownell gave a rare glimpse of his long-term strategic thinking for the Southeast Asia theater in meetings with Chinese and American officials yesterday. In those meetings, Pownell discussed a plan to build up a sizable attack force in India. That force would march through northern Burma and into China. Then, after a short break, it will continue on, eventually targeting Hong Kong.

Pownell's ultimate long-term objective is the liberation of Hong Kong and using the city as a submarine and air base. By gaining control of the city, Pownell argues, he hopes to be able to cut off the major Japanese line of supply from India. Japanese merchant ships would be forced to sail up the east side of the Philippines in a route that will make them more vulnerable to American attacks.

A senior official in Washington is said to be lobbying Southeast Asia Command to build up American units to participate in the operation. According to sources in the War Department, this American official has proposed that senior military officers be flown out of the Philippines, and sent to Dacca where they can use their experience against the Japanese to build new units to use against the enemy. Those same sources informed Thayne News that any operation of this type would have to act quickly, since the Philippine capital is close to collapsing under repeated Japanese attacks.


Dutch Planes Continue to Score Against Japanese Ships

(TN - Soerabaja) A convoy of Japanese ships that were thought to be heading to Kragen continued past the city, sailing east in the Java sea. Their route has put them within range of Dutch airplanes of Soerabaja, which continue to inflict damage on the Japanese ships. Yesterday's attacks scored a bomb and torpedo hits against five transports; with the average transports suffering two strikes against it. However, pilots are reporting that they are not seeing signs that the transports carry any troops. Instead, they may be trying to head back to Japan to pick up units for the next series of attacks.


Sub Sunk in South Pacific

(TN - Noumea) Allied anti-sub ships finally destroyed a Japanese sub that had been terrorizing the waters between Noumea and Fiji for the past several weeks. Several convoys making the journey between the two islands have reported being stalked by a Japanese submarine in the last month. Several escort ships have reported strikes against the Japanese unit. Each time, Allied escort ships attacked the sub, often reporting hits and claiming that the ship had been sunk. However, yesterday, several hours after its most recent attacks, ships in the convoy reported seeing a huge fountain of bubbles break the surface. Allied Military Intelligence is saying that this is proof that the submarine sank and, when the pressure became too great, collapsed. The air was squeezed out of her and made its rush to the surface.

March 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.


SQUEEZE PLAY IN BURMA

(TN - Dacca) Shortly after the Chinese 38th Division left Lashio to retake Mandalay in central Burma, the Japanese 33rd Divisions entered Lashio from the northwest. Taking the town, they cut off the Chinese unit's only source of supply.

Lieutenant General Zhu, commander of the Chinese division, gave the order for his unit to proceed to Mandalay without supply. Intelligence reports suggest that the city, like Lashio, is presently defended by only a light garrison that will not be able to stand up to the force of the Chinese division. At Mandalay, Zhu hopes to get additional supply for the next part of his mission.

According to sources at Southeast Asia command, Zhu then plans to move up the west valley from Mandalay to Myatkyina, and take the town, temporarily restoring travel along the Burma Road. A caravan of vehicles is waiting for an opportunity to transport equipment quickly down the road and into western China. Southeast Asia Command is hoping to transport 500 tons of supplies to China each day that the road is kept open.

The major question in this plan is whether the Japanese will challenge Zhu for control of Mandalay. Allied intelligence is aware that the Japanese are moving units up the valley in order to block the breech. To accomplish his objectives, Zhu must capture Mandalay and supply his troops before the Japanese counter-attack begins.

Military intelligence reports that the Japanese 33rd Division has taken a significant pounding from regular air missions and its trip through the Burma jungle. While the division traditionally had over 20,000 soldiers, operatives working in Lashio report that the division is now at half of its former strength. The loss of 10,000 soldiers can be attributed to disease and exhaustion, as well as the daily pounding by fighters and bombers stationed in eastern India.

The Japanese Division entered the mountains from the Mandalay-Myitkyina valley further west to ferret out the Mandalay defensive group. That group outmaneuvered the 38th Division and has since fled toward India. Elements of the defensive group are now about 30 miles away from Imphal and should be reaching the safety of India in a month.

Further south, the Japanese 18th Division sat back and regrouped yesterday, subjecting the Allied defenders to artillery bombardment but no concentrated assault. The allies holding Akyab are still struggling to keep the trail east of town open for units struggling to leave southern Burma. Allied intelligence estimates it will still take another week for the last of the stragglers to clear out of the jungle. Meanwhile, the British at Akyab continue to fight against an attack twice its size.


New Supplies Reach Wake Island

(TN - Hawaii) Critical supplies arrived at Wake Island yesterday, where soldiers immediately went to work unloading the precious cargo. The transport ship Exmoor was unloading cargo at Johnson Island when news arrived of an impending Japanese attack on Wake Island. As the closest cargo in the area, the Exmoor was ordered to quit unloading at Johnson and to deliver what remained of its cargo to Wake Island instead. The Exmoor, with an escort of two patrol gunboats, was already half empty, but it raised anchor and executed its orders, arriving at Wake yesterday morning. They transport still had over 2000 tons of vital supplies in its hold.

Two additional transport ships are a short distance behind the Exmoor. 4500 tons loaded at Pearl Harbor specifically for Wake Island are on board the Castor, only two days away from Wake Island. In five days, the large transport American Leader is expected to reach the island with an additional 7000 tons of food and equipment.

Meanwhile, the Wasp is two days away from its rondezvous with the Enterprise and Yorktown at Midway Island, where they are waiting for an chance to ambush the Japanese invasion fleet.

Meanwhile, Nimitz has just called an end to his raid on the Solomon Islands. The raid met with only moderate success, inflicting some damage on port installations on several islands. Nimitz was hoping to catch Japanese transports or battleships in the region, but did not find or attack a single Japanese ship.


Jap Transports Heading East

(TN - Sarabaja) Several Japanese ships continue to work their way east in the Java Sea, north of the city of Sarabaja, toward unknown destinations. As they do so, the Dutch air force continues to attack. Yesterday's missions scored a torpedo hit against one troop transport, and a bomb hit each on two others. Pilots also confirmed the sinking of a troop transport that had been hit by three torpedoes the previous day. According to the pilots, when they last viewed the ship water was clearing the port railing and fires were still burning deep inside the ship. Since then, no Japanese ship had been spotted in that part of the Java sea.


Chinese Pilots Score Against Japanese Bombers

(TN - Chungking) A Japanese bombing run on the city of Changsha in central China met with unusual success yesterday. First Lietenant Chu, who was leading the flight, spotted several Oscar fighters below his position heading toward the city. Chu sent his squadron into a cloud bank, and emerged a minute later after the Chinese flight had gone past. A few minutes later, a squadron of Sally bombers went by. Chu's flight went after the bombers, destroying six of them and damaging several others before the Oscars returned. The Chinese fighters then left the area without suffering a loss.

March 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.


CHINA IN MANDALAY

(TN - Dacca) The Chinese 38th Division occupied key areas in the city of Mandalay, taking them from what amounted to little more than a Japanese police force occupying the city. The operation included the capture of a great deal of supply, which the 38th Division needed since the loss of Lashio to the Japanese the day before.

The 38th Division even found some reinforcements in the area; members of the original garrison for Myitkyina are also in northern Burma. However, the few scattered remnants of the 101 RAF Base Force do not have the capacity to engage in any offensive action. It does have the capacity to provide support to the Chinese division.

From Mandalay, the Japanese have a clear track to Myitkyina and reopening the Burma Road. General Zhu is set to begin this run immediately, leaving the 101 RAF behind to slow down any pursuit.

From Myitkyina, General Zhu plans to lead his division west to Ledo, then offer support for the defense of India. General Zhu's division will likely be given an assignment protecting the air force bases in northeastern India, where C-47 transports are presently flying supplies into China.


Massive Japanese Air Raids at Akyab

(TN - Dacca) Japan has begun to organize a massive air offensive in the region of Burma and India. Yesterday, Akyab faced two 100-plane raids. Fighters from Chadpur attempted to fight off the attack, but found themselves outnumbered. In an emerging pattern, the American fighters quickly dispatch the Oscar fighters they encounter, then get pulverized by the Japaneze 'Zero' squadrons accompanying the bombers.

Akyab is turning into a virtual airplane graveyard, with nearly 200 airplanes shot down over the city since the start of the war. Yesterday alone, 15 airplanes came to the ground during the dogfight over the city. Military Intelligence puts the official losses at 10 American fighters lost, versus 15 Japanese fighters and bombers shot down.

The Japanese then dropped over 100 tons of explosives on the British defenders in the city, inflicting several casualties. The bombing disrupted British lines of communication along a large section of the front, and provided the opportunity for a Japanese attack that captured key sections of the heights overlooking the city. From the heights, they were able to look down on key British positions and accurately target artillery that caused the loss of hundreds of British lives.

The combined air and ground attack caused the near collapse of the British right flank. The Japanese approached to within a mile of a trail connecting Akyab to Rangoon. Several stragglers from Rangoon are still attempting to use that trail to reach Akyab. If the Japanese capture the trail, those stragglers will be cut off and, probably, destroyed. Recent rain storms have slowed the stragglers' progress. The bulk of the force is still five days' march away from Akyab. It is doubtful that the defenders can keep the trail open for five more days.


Dutch Score: 5 Bombs, 1 Torpedo

(TN - Soerabaja) ABDA Command reported yesterday that it is officially counting 5 bomb hits and 1 torpedo hit against 4 different Japanese troop transports in the Java Sea yesterday. Some of those transports were suffering damage from earlier raids. The convoys were seen to be moving very slowly out of the region, which ABDA Command attributes to damage inflicted on earlier raids.

Meanwhile, the Japanese western army reached Madioen, only 100 miles west of Soerabaja, the last major city in the Dutch East Indies. ABDA Command has pulled most of its units back to defend the capital, and has given the defenders of Madioen permission to retreat to the capital.

ABDA Command insists that it will not surrender Soerabaja without a serious fight.

Elsewhere in the Dutch East Indies, the Japanese yesterday began operations to take the town of Kuala in western Sumatra. The town is the last major port in allied hands along the Macassar Straight. The British have been using the base recently as a refueling station for submarines who were running out of fuel before they ran out of torpedoes.


Wake Island Ready for Battle

(TN - Hawaii) Colonel M.S. Morrison, commander of the Wake garrison, announced yesterday that his units have received more than enough supplies to hold off a sustained Japanese invasion. Nearly 5,000 tons of supplies have been dropped off at Wake Island since the Allies learned of the impending Japanese attack on the island. Another 1,000 tons are sitting on ships just off of the harbor. Wake Island is also now the home of over 100 airplanes; 35 F4F fighters from VMF-211, 55 B-25C Mitchell bombers from the 41st Bomber Group, and 12 PBY seaplanes from VP-44. The air units are on constant patrol for Japanese ships, but have not yet seen any sign of an approaching task force.

Each day that the Japanese remain gone, the soldiers of the 111th USA Regimental Combat Team improve their positions on the island. Much of their time goes to building protective bunkers for the island's guns, which point out in all directions. Every square inch of ground is being utilized. The Hotel, used by the Pan-Am passengers flying across the Pacific, has become a fort with sandbags piled high around the building and the walls inside reinforced by concrete. Colonel Morrison has said that only a fool would not see the building as a primary bombing target. When Morrison took over command of the island, he ordered that his own headquarters be placed in underground bunkers built on the island.


Allied Command: "Prepare for the Fall of Manila."

(TN - Washington) War Department officials yesterday told Thayne News that military officials should be prepared for the fall of Manila in the next three or four days. The Japanese spent another day launching attacks in the Intramuros region, and the defenders are having a hard time holding a solid line of communication. Over 1000 Allied soldiers were lost in yesterday's fighting as a section of the line east of Intramuros briefly fell apart. A counter-attack was ordered to restore the front, but the Philippine Army suffered significant losses in the attempt.

The War Department warned that one or two more determined attacks like the last one, and the defensive perimeter could fall apart with no hope that it could be restored.

March 8, 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.


ZHU DIVISION DIVIDES

(TN - Dacca) In a move that surprised even the highest ranking members of Southeast Asia Command, General Zhu split his division into regiments and gave each an objective in a different direction. Zhu's first division, with him as commander, moved north to take the town of Myitkyina and to reopen the Burma Road. He sent his second division south with orders to intercept the supply routes to the Japanese units attempting to take Akyab. He sent his third division back to Lashio, to help cut off supplies to the 33rd Japanese Division.

At Lashio, the 33rd Japanese Division moved against the 93rd Chinese Division, which was also moving down the Burma Road and attempting to enter the city. In a day-long engagement, the Japanese pushed the 93rd division back into the mountains, further isolating Zhu's forces. However, intelligence reports suggest that the 33rd Japanese Division is significantly under strength due to its operations in the malaria-filled jungles of Burma, and had to leave Lashio barely guarded in order to carry out its operations. According to reports from General Zhu's headquarters, he believes that one regiment is all that is needed to recapture, yet again, the Burma town of Lashio.

The 93rd Chinese Division, in fleeting from the Japanese, were able to unite with two other Chinese divisions in the hills north of Lashio. The Chinese have the Japanese division outgunned, and may be able to fight the Japanese to a standstill, until Zho's third regiment can strike from behind.

General Pownell, commander of the Southeast Asia region, is reportedly furious at General Zhu for going off on what he called a "self destructive quest for glory." Pownell's spokesmen have expressed concern that the move will significantly weaken General Zhu's division and destroy its ability to contribute significantly to the defense of northern India. At the same time, its actions taking northern Burma will cost the Japanese only a few lost days, since Zhu lacks any ability to slow down any Japanese attempt to reclaim the region, and may focus Japanese attention on the region.

One benefit of Zhu's activities is that it has drawn the attention of the Japanese air force. Mandalay, yesterday, was the focus of a significant bombing raid that analysts expect would have otherwise targeted Akyab.


Allies Learn More Wake Island Secrets

(TN - Washington) The War Department yesterday reported that it learned vital new information concerning the Japanese plans to attack Wake Island. According to this new information, the Japanese 4th Fleet is in charge of planning the attack. Earlier intelligence reports show that the last known location of the 4th Fleet was the island of Truk. Truk also happens to lie along the course the Japanese carrier fleet was on when it was last seen nearly four weeks ago. From these pieces of evidence, officials in the War Department have said that they are working on the assumption the carriers are at Truk, preparing for the attack on Wake Island.

In the face of this new information, Allied military command has ordered that submarines in the region move to cover the sea between Truk and Wake Island in order to give advance warning of the attack. Admiral Kimmel has once again asked for the carriers from Nimitz, who reports that his carrier fleet has not yet returned from its recent operations. According to Nimitz, his carriers are presently covering the first landings Nendo, in the Santa Cruz islands.

Nimitz has also warned that he had sent his carriers out before needed maintenance could be performed, and the carriers are in need of a couple of weeks in port before they can again be in top shape. Kimmel has answered that the Pearl Harbor port facilities can perform the needed maintenance, and that he needs the carriers nearby when the Japanese launch their assault.


Dutch Begin Withdrawing Air Units

(TN - Soerabaja) As the Japanese capture the city of Madaoen, 100 miles away from Soerabaja, ABDA Command has ordered the withdraw of all air units reduced to one or two airplanes from Java to northern Australia. Four Dutch air groups made the trip from Soerabaja to northern Australia, leaving behind 82 airplanes in 12 remaining air units.

The groups that withdrew include two seaplane units that only had one airplane remaining, two airplanes that remained from a Martin bomber group, and a Buffalo fighter. The remaining Dutch air units attacked Japanese shipping in the Java sea, delivering two torpedoes to a Japanese troop transport and three bombs to a minesweeper.

March 9, 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.


JAP SURPRISE AT LASHIO

(TN - Dacca) Suggestions that the Japanese 33rd Division at Lashio had lost half of its strength due to disease and fatigue were proved false yesterday. Three Chinese divisions met the full force of the Japanese 33rd on the Burma Road north of Lashio. In spite of the faulty intelligence, the Chinese were able to hold their line and fight the Japanese to a standstill, inflicting heavy casualties on their opponent.

In the mean time, elements of Geneal Zho's 38th Chinese Division are quickly approaching Lashio from the south, hoping to cut off supplies to the Japanese division. Zho's 3rd Regiment was on the outskirts of the town, where it was engaged in small skirmishes with rear guard elements of the Japanese division. Zho predicts that his units will have regained control of Lashio for the second time within the next two days.

General Zho himself is marching to Myitkyina with his 1st Regiment, and expects to complete the march in about 4 days. He is hoping that he will be able to reopen the Burma Road for a while, allowing much needed supplies to enter China. News of the maneuver has quickly spread through China, making Zho an instant hero in that country. However, he is not so popular at Southeast Asia Command, where senior officials have noted that Zho has taken the route for himself that involves the least personal risk, while wasting most of his division in grandstanding.

General Zho himself, in a communiqué, responded to the allegations by saying that the British are merely jealous. "I am here, in northern Burma, taking all of the strategic locations that the British got pushed out of. These types of things are difficult for a good general to accept."


Manila Defenders Hanging On

(TN - Manila) The Philippine army has been pushed back to the point where it occupies little more than the fortified region of Intramuros, but it is still holding on against determined Japanese attacks. In yesterday's action, the defenders suffered another 5% casualties as the Japanese drove to the coast on the southern part of the Philippine Army pocket. The drive puts the Japanese closer to allied coastal artillery positions, which are a primary target for the Japanese. The Allies also hold a significant portion of the warehouse and factory district near the piers, further preventing the Japanese from using Manila's port facilities.


Freighters at Chadpur Torpedoed

(TN - Dacca) Three dozen Japanese Betty bombers struck at a freighter convoy unloading in Chadpur Harbor yesterday, but only managed to torpedo two large cargo ships. The two ships are a part of an 80 ship convoy that reached the port three days ago. In addition to bringing vital food and ammunition, one of the ships in the convoy delivered 48 Bolo bombers that are to be used in the defense of Akyab. Most of the cargo on the ships, including all of the airplanes, had already been unloaded.

The bombers arrived with an escort of 15 Zero fighters, which tangled with Hurricane fighters above the city. The Hurricanes are proving to be one of the few planes capable of standing up to the Zero fighters, having shot down three enemy airplanes at the loss of 1 defender. The American Volunteer group, also stationed at Chadpur, was flying CAP over Akyab at the time of the raid, and were not available to provide cover.


Jap Sub Sinks Australian Minesweeper

(TN - Sydney) The Australian navy suffered the loss of the minesweeper Tanager yesterday just off of the coast of Cairns in northeastern Australia. The Tanager was a part of a 6-ship convoy that was hunting for subs in the region. The submarine found the hunters first and hit the Tanager with two torpedoes. One struck near the rear of the ship, and the other struck near the front, causing the ship to quickly list to port, rendering it incapable of launching lifeboats. The other ships in the convoy went to work rescuing survivors and were unable to locate the Japanese submarine.


Fierce Fighting at Akyab

(TN - Dacca) Another day of fierce fighting struck occurred at Akyab yesterday. The Japanese made another determined attempt to cut the trail west of town, and trap British units trying to reach the city. The British, however, reinforced their right flank and kept the Japanese at bay in a fight where nearly 400 British soldiers were killed or wounded.

While the Akyab garrison fought, the 4000 British soldiers trying to reach the city picked up speed in good weather. The forward elements of the retreating British army are expected to march into Akyab within the next day, and take up positions on the defenses. The soldiers will provide a significant boost to the 11000 British soldiers presently trying to defend the city.

Zhu's division in northern Burma has already provided the Akyab units with an important break, drawing enemy bombers north to hit targets in Mandalay. 60 enemy bombers struck Mandalay yesterday in a raid that would have otherwise almost certainly targeted Akyab.

The British soldiers units were the escape of British units trying to reach the city. , as the Japanese drove to cut the trail east of town and prevent the escape of British units still trying


Nimitz Lands Forces at Ndini

(TN - Noumea) Admiral Nimitz pushed the South Pacific Wall a little closer to the Japanese yesterday, when he began landing forces in the Santa Cruz Islands. The 811th Engineer Aviation Battalion went ashore at Ndini yesterday and immediately went to work to establish a seaplane base, as well as port facilities for future supplies and an airstrip for fighter cover. According to sources at South Pacific Command, a seaplane tender is on its way to the island and should arrive in the next few days. Additional supplies are also on their way.

Within the next week, landings will also take place on Reef Island to the east of Ndini, where a second seaplane base will be set up. The No. 110 RAN BaseForce will set on that island to build the installations and serve as protection against a Japanese ground assault.

Nimitz hopes to use these islands to gather intelligence that will allow him to strike at the Japanese in the Solomon Islands.

March 10, 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.


ZHO NEARS LASHIO, PAGAN

(TN - Soerabaja) Two regiments from General Zho's 38th Chinese Division stood ready occupy two important cities in northern Burma.

Zho's 2nd Regiment gathered at the outskirts of Lashio, the supply source for the Japanese 33rd Division fighting three Japanese divisions in the mountains north of town. The 2nd Regiment hopes to be able to quickly seize key supply depots for the Japanese unit, and force its retirement from the mountains, or its defeat.

In the mountains north of Lashio, the Chinese were able to use the cover offered by the steep mountains and thick jungles to launch a surprisingly strong attack against the Japanese lines. The Chinese were able to force two companies through a weak spot in the line that penetrated to the rear area. The attackers killed or captured over 300 Japanese soldiers and destroyed three enemy artillery batteries, at a loss of less than fifty of their own soldiers.

Pagan is also reserve storehouse for supplies being used in a Japanese offensive, in this case an attempt to capture Akyab. Twenty thousand Japanese soldiers have already made the trip over the jungle mountains to Akyab, and another 20,000 soldiers are on their way. However, the Japanese have left their rear area lightly defended. Zho's 1st Regiment may be able to completely disrupt the Japanese supply lines, giving the Allies in Akyab a significant advantage.

The defenders at Akyab are also benefiting form the arrival of reinforcements from Rangoon. A long line of soldiers has been filing into Akyab through the night and day. The soldiers were immediately put into the battle along the Allied right flank, helping to secure the western trail for those soldiers that had not yet arrived. When the Japanese 18th Division launched another attack to try to close the trail, the British threw them back with significant losses.


Dutch Prepare for Battle of Soerabaja

(TN - Soerabaja) The Japanese have continued to push the Dutch army eastward to the outskirts of Soerabaja. ABDA Command has admitted that the battle for Soerabaja itself will soon begin. In preparation for the battle, ABDA Command has ordered several badly weakened air squadrons back to Bali and Lombok, where ground units in Java would not be able to reach them. Air support units have also been ordered to Malang, south of Soerabaja, where they can continue to fly operations without falling under fire from enemy artillery.

Thirty thousand Dutch soldiers are preparing to defend the city, while an equal number of Japanese soldiers stand ready to try to take it. The Japanese will have the additional advantage of overwhelming air power and hundreds of thousands of additional reinforcements, while the Dutch army is largely isolated. It will not likely be getting any reinforcements, and will be subject to endless Japanese bombardment.


Dutch Submarine Ambushes Japanese Transport

(TN - Soerabaja) An explosion of a Japanese troop transport, taken under fire by a Dutch submarine, was so extensive that it blew two crewmen off the submarine. Dutch submarine KXVII chased the Japanese transport on the surface in the Malacca Straight, apparently without being seen. The Japanese ship turned and presented a broadside to the submarine, which responded by firing a spread of four torpedoes. Three of the torpedoes struck, then the ship detonated in a huge ball of fire. Lieutenant Commander Beanon rescued the two crewmen, but was forced to quickly submerge when other Japanese ships entered the area.


Battle Continues At Macassar

(TN - Serabaja) In the Dutch city at Macassar, on the island of Salawesi, a small Dutch contingent has been fighting a Japanese invasion force for over two weeks. The Dutch were not expected to last for more than a few days, but so far the Japanese have been unable to drive them out of the city. In their attempts, the Japanese have subjected the city to 100-plane bombardments on a regular basis, plus naval bombardment from passing convoys. The city's air ports have been reduced to large beds of bomb craters, and the port facilities have been nearly completely destroyed. Still, the rubble continued to provide the Dutch defenders with cover which they use to keep the Japanese invaders at bay.

Military Intelligence has recently acquired evidence that Japan is preparing to move reinforcements into the city. There is no news on when the reinforcements will arrive.

March 11, 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.


ZHO RECLAIMS LASHIO, PAGAN

(TN - Soerabaja) Two regiments from Genreal Zho's 38th Division successfully captured two key supply centers in northern and central Burma yesterday in very light fighting. Only lightly armed police units held each town. They quickly fled, leaving behind stockpiles of food and equipment that the Chinese army then began to distribute to its soldiers.

The Japanese were using the two towns as deployment centers for major offensives out of Burma. The town of Lashio was the supply center for the 33rd Japanese Division. The 33rd Division is presently fighting the Chinese in the hills northeast of the city. In a major push into the mountains, the Japanese routed the 93rd Chinese Division, forcing them back into China. However, the Japanese were unable to pursue their advantage when they found their supply threatened. The 93rd Chinese Division escaped, while the 49th Chinese Division and 28th Chinese Division established a new defensive line.

The Japanese unit is now completely cut off from supply and trapped along a very narrow road. Allied Military Intelligence believes that the Japanese will try to recapture the town of Lashio from Zho's regiment. However, Lieutenant Colonel Fu, the commander of the 2nd Regiment, reports that there is very little left in the town to take, and the Chinese occupation of Mandalay to the south prevents new supplies from reaching the Japanese division.

The Japanese units attempting to capture Akyab, consisting of the 18th, 55th, and 56th Japanese Divisions, as well as the 1st Japanese Tank Regiment, face similar supply problems due to the loss of Pagan. Zho's 3rd Regiment also found only lightly armed police units defending the town, and quickly drove the occupiers into the hills. The town represented the source of supply for the Akyab attackers.

Military intelligence has picked up signals suggesting that the 1st Japanese Tank Regiment is turning around to recapture Pagan and, from there, will move on to Mandalay. The War Department is trying to figure out how long it will take the Japanese unit to change direction and launch a counter attack against Zhu's forces. In the mean time, there is also a risk of Japanese units coming up from Rangoon to the south. General Zho has ordered his 2nd Regiment back to Mandalay to prevent them from being cut off.

In the mean time, Zho's own First Regiment has entered Myitkyina, and has found as little Japanese resistance there as in the other towns in northern Burma. Zho reports that the Burma Road will soon be open for business once again. Southeast Asia Command has already filled a large convoy of trucks with vital military equipment in the hopes of rushing it through the town the moment it is declared safe. General Zho says that he will have control of the town within the next 24 hours.

General Pownell, the commander of the Southeast Asia Command, has radioed General Zhu his personal congratulations on his success in northern Burma. In a conversation that was described as "strictly business", Pownell is said to have reminded Zhu that it was important that his units retire to India in the face of the inevitable Japanese counter attack. According to sources who were in the room when the conversation took place, Zhu insisted on receiving reinforcements and supplies, while Pownell responded that the capacity to supply an occupation army in northern Burma, "does not exist at this time."

There are some people, even among General Pownell's own advisors, who believe that General Zhu has so badly disrupted the Japanese attack that there is much more hope that the Japanese can be kept out of eastern India. News of General Zhu's success has significantly increased morale among the Chinese people that the Japanese can be defeated.


Japanese Reach Soerabaja

(TN - Soerabaja) The Japanese 2nd Division reached the outskirts of Soerabaja, Java yesterday. In a day of little combat, the Dutch army pulled back to defensive positions on the edge of the city and prepared for the Japanese attack.

Soerabaja's main problem is reported to be a lack of supplies. The retreat to Soerabaja drained the town of much of its available military supplies, and it has been impossible to deliver more than a trickle of additional supplies to the city. The supply problem is so serious, that ABDA Command has given orders to several badly depleted air units for reassignment to the Southwest Pacific Command. General Thompson, commander of the Southwest Pacific forces, has promised General Wavell to use the Dutch forces in Australia.


Manila Defies Odds

(TN - Manila) Sources in Allied Command confess that they expected Manila to be in Japanese hands by now. Still, the Allied defenders are holding onto the city, in spite of suffering nearly 40% casualties since the fall of Bataan. The Philippine army defense is focused mostly on the Intramuros, the walled city at the heart of Manila, though it still controls the port district and several coastal guns. A fierce Japanese assault yesterday west of Intramuros succeeded in capturing the region, though the Philippine army forced the Japanese to pay a high price. Thayne News observers on the Intramuros wall reported seeing scores of Japanese boats destroyed as they attempted to cross the Pasig River. However, the weight of Japanese artillery and the shear number of Japanese soldiers forced the Philippines to retreat from the region into the Intramuros itself. The Japanese now control the city on two sides of the ancient Spanish fort.

March 12, 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.


CHINA SWARMS BURMA

(TN - Dacca) Two Chinese divisions performed a stunning attack on the Burma Road yesterday, charging through the 33rd Japanese Division and into Lashio, Burma yesterday. The fighting began as another Japanese attack to drive the division back into China. However, while the Japanese focused on the flanks, the Chinese divisions launched their own attack on the center of the Japanese line. The unexpected swarm of Japanese soldiers caused the Japanese center to collapse, and China pushed two full divisions through the gap and into Burma.

The maneuver now gives China three divisions in northern Burma, all of which could flee to India if the need arises. The Chinese now have a secure hold both of Lashio, and of Mandalay further to the south. The Chinese also control the town of Myitkyina, and the forward city of Pagan. With the capture of Myitkyina, supplies are once again flowing into western China.

General Pownell responded to the news by ordering the two divisions to report immediately to Dacca, to begin training for the defense of eastern India. According to sources among Pownell's staff, the general is concerned about the possibility of the Japanese trapping the Chinese units the way it nearly trapped the Mandalay defensive group. In the earlier fight, the Japanese 55th Division nearly forced the Mandalay defensive group into China, even though its commanders were trying to reach India. "It would be a terrible loss to wake up and discover that the three Chinese divisions were caught back on the wrong side of the divide," said one senior official.

The difficulty involved in the journey is still expected to significantly weaken the Chinese units, as it weakened the retreating British units. It will require a significant amount of time to rebuild the divisions. Towards this end, Pownell is suggesting that Chinese replacement soldiers return to Ledo on the aircraft delivering supplies to Yunan.


Akyab Attack Scaled Back

(TN - Dacca) With General Zho's 3rd Regiment blocking supplies, the Japanese 18th Division scaled back its operations against Akyab yesterday. The Japanese contented themselves with shelling key Allied locations, while they dug in defensively on the hills north of town. It is expected that the Japanese will not be continuing its attack until it can restore the supply lines. With only a single Chinese regiment blocking the route, this is not expected to be difficult, and the Japanese will be renewing its offensive within a week. However, the delay will give the Akyab defenders a chance to improve their defensive position.

General Pownell reports that he still thinks the British lack sufficient strength for a prolonged defense of Akyab. "It's a jungle out there," one senior official said, "And we simply do not yet have the equipment we need to keep an army functioning in such a jungle."


Battle for Soerabaja Begins

(TN - Soerabaja) The Japanese launched its attempt to take the city of Soerabaja yesterday with a general attack on the entire length of the front. The assault was believed to be an attempt to probe the Dutch defenses for weaknesses that the Japanese could exploit, but they found none. In one sector of the front, a regiment penetrated deep within the Dutch lines, but this proved to be a trap. When the Dutch closed the gap again, it caught over 700 Japanese troops in a crossfire and eliminated nearly a full battalion of infantry. The Dutch army then struck at the retreating Japanese and destroyed over 30 guns, before returning to their lines.


Oklahoma Returns To Duty

(TN - Los Angeles) With all of the battle damage from Pearl Harbor cut away and repaired, and with a fresh coat of paint, the battleship Oklahoma returned to the ocean yesterday. The Oklahoma turned north to San Francisco, where she will join the California. The California is another Pearl Harbor battleship that should be done with its repairs by the time the Oklahoma arrives. The two battleships will then be dispatched to Pearl Harbor to join Kimmel's fleet.

When asked how it felt to be getting two of his battleships back in service, Kimmel said, "I'll need to test them and make sure they are battle ready. I have a few Japanese held islands that I plan on testing them on, see how they do." Kimmel also has the battleship Mississippi under his command. The three battleships will rendezvous at Pearl Harbor while Kimmel's staff plans their use.


Nimitz Fleet: Closed For Repairs

(TN - Noumea) Admiral Nimitz, commander of Allied forces in the South Pacific, shipped most of his combat fleet to Sydney and Auckland for repairs and refit yesterday. The ships have been in constant use for over six weeks, many of then practicing combat tactics in the Gilbert Islands, then participating in a raid on the lower Solomons as they hunted Japanese battleships. The raid was not successful, but it did leave the carriers Lexington and Saratoga overdue for needed maintenance.

Admiral Kimmel has requested the use of the carriers in fighting off an expected Japanese invasion of Wake Island. However, no invasion yet seems imminent, and Nimitz is arguing against keeping the carriers in port waiting for an attack that may never come.

Allied Central Command had granted Nimitz' request to refit the fleet in his home port. Nimitz argued that it is dangerous to have the fleet in such a state of disrepair, and that they should be kept ready for battle until an actual emergency arises.

amazing aar. I considered doing one, based on my UV expereinces...and this is so much better then anything i could produce....great job.

March 13, 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 VICTORY AT MACASSAR

(TN - Soerabaja) A Japanese transport ship showed up at Macassar two days ago and pulled the Japanese invasion force out of the city yesterday. This represented the third time that a Japanese invasion has been defeated. The first defeat came at Wake Island, which is still under Allied control. The second defeat also occurred on the Dutch island of Sulawesi, at Menado, with the aid of an Allied surface fleet.

ABDA Command is confused about the cause of the victory, but thinks that some of the transports that its air arm had destroyed were sending reinforcements to support the invasion. The loss of reinforcements made the Japanese position in the city untenable, and they withdrew to plan a second attack. Lieutenant Colonel Gortmans reports that the Japanese troop transport, with a heavy cruiser, can be seen just off of shore out of range of any of the coastal guns that remain. The ship is anchored and waiting.


Battleship Spotted in Java Sea

(TN - Soerabaja) The Dutch Submarine KVIII surfaced and gave an emergency report of seeing the Japanese battleship Haruna in the waters just north of Raba, 300 miles east of Java. Search planes have not warned of any Japanese task forces in the area. Almost immediately after spotting the Japanese battleship, an escort of at least 7 destroyers attacked the submarine, which managed to get away. No news was provided as to the direction the task force was moving, or the total number of ships in the task force. Search planes have been ordered to the region to try to find the Japanese task force.


Japan Returns to Lashio

(TN - Dacca) The 33rd Japanese Division turned around yesterday and returned to Lashio to re-establish their supply lines. They were able to get the division turned around fast enough to catch the 49th and 28th Chinese Divisions still in the city. General Pownall, commander of the Southeast Asia sector, has ordered the two divisions to Dacca so that the Japanese do not maneuver them back into China, so only the Japanese division encountered only the rear guard of the two divisions. Officials at Southeast Asia Command are expressing hope that the Japanese will need to stop at Lashio to regroup and resupply, though they report that Lashio has very few supplies left.

Japan supported the 33rd Division with a 50-bomber raid against the city. Officials at Southeast Asia Command admit that these planes would almost certainly have been used at Rabaul, or against the air bases in India, if Zhu had not given the Japanese reason to divert them to northern Burma.

The 3rd Regiment of the 38th Chinese Division has also withdrawn from Pagan under the orders of General Pownall, and is now back in Mandalay with the British 101 RAF Base Force. The regiment is holding the gateway out of Lashio for the two Chinese divisions. Pownall ordered this retreat as well to prevent the regiment from being trapped at Pagan.

Reports from General Zhu at Myitkyina, commander of the Chinese 38th Division, say that the Chinese officer is furious about Pownall's orders. He appealed to General Chiang Kai-Chek for permission to remain in northern Burma, and to get additional supplies. In addition, Zhu's supporters have spread news of his success across China, and made it widely known that Zhu wants to stay and fight in Burma.

Chiang Kai-Chek responded to the request by saying that Zhu has been under Pownall's command since the start of the war, and that it is as inappropriate for Zhu to appeal to Chang Kai-Chek for a change in orders, than for one of Zhu's own regimental commanders to appeal to the head of the 48th Division for a change in orders. Chiang Kai-Chek allegedly informed the General that he will obey orders or be replaced.

News of the decision spawned simultaneous protests on the streets of Yunan and Chungking. Chiang Kai-Chek immediately responded by sending in the army to scatter the protesters. Unnamed sources at Southeast Asia Command have also expressed the concern that Zhu's popularity gives him the power to overthrow Chang Kai-Shek as leader of Nationalist China.

General Pownall responded to the situation by sending an airplane to Myitkyina to retrieve General for a personal consultation. General Zhu was promised an opportunity to make his argument and has agreed to the meeting.


Japan Pushes Advantage West of Intramuros, Manila

(TN - Manila) Japan worked to expand its holdings in the region west of Intramuros yesterday in an attempt to gain control of the Southern Port District. The allies are continuing to hold a line from the Intramuros to Manila Bay, denying the Japanese the use of the port facilities. However, strategic advisors argue that Japanese capture of the ports would do little good, since the Allied garrison still controls the coastal guns that prevent any Japanese ships from reaching the pier. The fighting has not been as fierce in recent days, though the Allied defenders report that they lost another 300 soldiers in yesterday's fighting.


Dutch Fighters Down Betty Bombers

(TN - Soerabaja) Dutch fighter squadrons tore apart two Japanese bombing missions that arrived at Soerabaja yesterday without escort. Military analysts think that the Japanese saw the Dutch planes leaving the city and believed that the entire air force had gone. Though General Wavall has ordered the Dutch air force from Soerabaja, a squadron of Dutch fighters had not yet left, and were able to fly up to meet the Japanese bombers. The Japanese lost nearly a dozen bombers in the two raids, without inflicting any losses at all on the Dutch defenders.

Each of the air attacks was coordinated with a ground assault against different sectors of the Dutch defensive line. The Dutch army easily drove off the Japanese probes, though the attacks inflicted another 200 casualties on the defenders. The city's hospitals are already overcrowded as emergency medical teams provide immediate medial aid to the defenders.


Kimmel Tests Three Carrier Force on Marcus Island

(TN - Hawaii) Admiral Kimmel, commander of the Central Pacific theater of operations, tested the firepower of his three-carrier force on the Japanese held Marcus Island yesterday. The raids represent the second attack on Marcus Island in as many months, and the third Allied foray into the region. Each raid brought with it one more carrier than the time before.

Captain Mitscher, commander of the task force, launched two raids against the island. Each raid consisted of over 100 bombers with fighter escort. The attacks inflicted significant damage to the port and airfield facilities, as well as gun emplacements and other defensive installations. For the second time, the Allied carrier force was unable to find any Japanese shipping in the region.

March 14, 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 INVASION OF MACASSAR

(TN - Soerabaja) Two days after the Japanese army withdrew from Macassar, a new group of transports began dropping off fresh troops. The troops landed several miles of the city, and the Japanese immediately went to work setting up a defensive perimeter and digging emplacements for artillery. The landing began just before dawn, leaving the allies with little opportunity to see the operation unfold or to coordinate a meaningful attack.

Observers scouting the landing sights also noted the appearance of over four dozen armored vehicles. Military Intelligence had received news on March 5th that the 8th Tank Regiment was planning to assault Macassar. The appearance of the tanks suggests that the intelligence reports were sound.

The accuracy of these reports is causing Military Intelligence to look again at the information suggesting an upcoming attack on Wake Island.


Chinese Abandon Lashio

(TN - Dacca) The Burma town of Lashio changed hands yet again, as the Japanese regained control of the city's major installations. The Chinese divisions that had control of the city had left to make sure that they would not be maneuvered into retreating back to China. General Pownall wants the units in India to help with the defense of the region.

The two Chinese divisions are now half way to Mandalay. They hope to be able to get through the city before the Japanese take it and cut off their route of escape. Southeast Asia Command is seeking to prevent results like those that were inflicted by the Japanese 55th Division, which forced the Mandalay defenders to Lashio rather than allowing them to retreat to Myitkyina and then to India.


Manila: Japan Drives for Warf District Continues

(TN - Manila) The Japanese continued its drive to capture the warf district of Manila and to further surround the fortified region of Intramuros. The drive cost the Japanese another 500 casualties. Their drive focused on trapping a Philippine army company that had been using an old freighter in the harbor to control the warf region. However, the allies were able to hold on long enough to get the soldiers off of the freighter and behind friendly lines.


Soerabaja: Japan Brings In Reinforcements

(TN - Soerabaja) Japan brought in an additional 15,000 soldiers into the battle for Soerabaja yesterday and put them into the fight. The attack gives the Japanese a two to one advantage on the ground. The attack resulted in a significant number of Japanese casualties, but their focused attack was able to overrun and destroy a series of bunkers on the hills north of the city of Soerabaja. The Dutch army was forced to retire to a second line of defense further inside the city. The Japanese capture of the heights also forced the Dutch to abandon other key defensive positions made vulnerable from the new positions. From the heights, the Japanese began targeting Dutch artillery batteries, destroying nearly two dozen guns before the allies could get the weapons moved to safer locations.

The Dutch Army still controls the airport in Soerabajal. In spite of a discussion to send the air units to Australia, the pilots have so far been able to delay executing their orders, and focused on attacking the Japanese instead. While the Japanese were targeting the Dutch batteries, Dutch airplanes targeted the Japanese batteries and are credited with destroying at least two dozen enemy guns on their own.

March 15, 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.


ZHU SUMMONED TO INDIA

(TN - Dacca) General Zhu, commander of the 38th Chinese Division, met with General Pownall, commander of the Southeast Asia theater, in Dacca yesterday. General Zhu broke into northern Rangoon recently, disrupting Japanese plans for the region. However, he angered General Pownall when he refused to leave northern Burma. Zhu's popularity as a result of his successes also made him a threat to overthrow Chang Kai-Shek as leader of China. Pownell summoned Zhu to Dacca in order to discuss the situation.

General Pownall is said to be opposed to the plan of keeping the Chinese units in northern Burma. According to senior officials in Pownall's staff, the discussions are expected to go well into the night, and even the next morning. Said one official, "We will keep him here as long as it takes to get our message across."

While General Zhu is at Southeast Asia Command, orders have gone out to his units in Burma to pull back to the India frontier. All evidence suggests that the Chinese are obeying. They have abandoned the town of Pagan, which the Japanese will soon reoccupy. They are also pulling out of Mandalay, and will soon be leaving Myitkyina.

Myitkyina has been used as a stopping point for trucks entering western China. Over 2,000 tons of supplies have made it through the town since General Zhu liberated the city. Logistics experts hope to be able to get at least another 2,000 tons of equipment through the town before the Japanese again close the roadway.


Carrier Planes Attack Tobali

(TN - Soerabaja) Units at Tobali, 200 miles north of Batavia, Java, report being hit by Kate bombers and Zero fighters yesterday that flew in from the east. The information makes it virtually certain that there is Japanese carrier force in the area. Only 20 planes participated in the raid, suggesting the presence of only a light or escort carrier. The bulk of the Japanese carrier force remains hidden.


Freighter 'Red Jacket' Torpedoed, Sank

(TN - Brisbane) The freighter 'Red Jacket' took two torpedoes just after sunset yesterday. The ship, heavily burdened with cargo bound for Port Moresby, sank within minutes of being struck. The freighter was part of a convoy due to arrive at Cairns, Australia, in about four days. At Cairns, it was due to pick up an escort that would accompany it to Port Moresby on the island of New Guinea. The convoy contains two additional fully loaded ships also with supplies for Port Moresby. The convoy is also being escorted by four destroyers and an minesweeper, who were unable to locate the submarine.


Japan Air Force Returns

(TN - Dacca) The Japanese air force ended a two day unexplained respite with huge attacks on Imphal and Mandalay on the Indian front, and Soerabaja on the Dutch front, yesterday.

The Imphall attack force was accompanied by a fighter force of zeros that cut straight through the Allie defenders. Japanese Zeros shot down three British fighters were shot down in the opening seconds of the battle, with another four falling shortly after that. The bombing group, consisting of nearly 100 Sally bombers, then attacked the airport and supply depots in and around Imphal. Two Blenheim airplanes were destroyed.

A group of 30 bombers attacked Mandalay, but the Allies had no fighter cover to throw up over such a remote base.

At Soerabaja, the Japanese again sent an unescorted flight of three dozen Betty bombers to the city. Dutch fighters had a field day among the Japanese bombers, destroying a third of them and forcing another third to retreat. The remaining bombers did minimum damage to Allied military facilities in the area.

March 16, 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.


200 CARRIER PLANES HIT MANILA

(TN - Manila) In an air raid that lasted nearly three hours, 200 Japanese carrier-based bombers struck the Intramuros yesterday. The strike gave away the location of the Japanese carrier fleet in the waters northwest of Manila. However, it may have also delivered the coup de gras to the Manila defenses.

The planes struck artillery units, headquarters, and troop quarters in the walled section of central Manila. At the same time, the Japanese launched probing attacks against the walls of Intramuros. The Philippine army drove off the attackers. However, the chaos of the bombs and the attacks resulted in the worst day in Manila so far, with nearly 700 Philippine military casualties reported. The number of civilian casualties is also very high.

Commanders throughout the Pacific Ocean breathed a sigh of relief at the news that the carrier force had been found. Immediately, Kimmel and Nimitz separately called their staff into meetings to discuss how to exploit the news. Both leaders are looking for the opportunity to exploit the fact that the Japanese are not in their section. However, both leaders have their carrier forces unavailable at the moment. Nimitz is subjecting his two hard-working carriers to refit and repair. Kimmel will be doing the same to his carrier group the instant they return from recent raids.


Java Sea Carriers Attack Benjarmasin

(TN - Soerabaja) An air strike consisting of 18 carrier planes struck the Borneo port of Benjarmasin yesterday. This is believed to be the same carrier that struck Tobali the day before. Benjarmasin is the last refuge for Dutch army units driven out of Balikpapan, Samarinda, and Tarakan earlier in the year. The units are resting and preparing defenses against an expected Japanese attack against the city.


Allied Command Orders Wavell From Java

(TN - Washington) Allied military command has ordered that General Wavell send his key staff and the core of the ABDA Headquarters to northern Australia. The order came with plans to remove the Dutch air force to northern Australia as well. The maneuver was prompted by a request from General Thompson, the leader of the Southwest Pacific Command, who is reportedly looking at the possibility of attacking and reclaiming the Dutch islands.

Thompson has already occupied Kai Island, about 400 miles north of Darwin, Australia, as well as Thursday Island, which protects the waterways between New Guinea and Australia. According to officials Southwest Pacific command, Thompson is looking into the possibility of occupying Aru Island, about 100 miles south of Kai Island, with Dutch forces. Also, Thompson argued, as the units fought their way up the island chain, its units will need somebody to organize replacements, reinforcements, and upgrades. ABDA Command in Darwin is expected to be able to help in this project.


Japan Retakes Pagan

(TN - Dacca) The Japanese 55th and 33rd Divisions combined took the town of Pagan yesterday. The operation allows the Japanese to restore their supply lines to the Japanese 18th Division. The 18th Division is at Akyab, attempting to capture the city. In recent days, since Pagan was cancelled, the Japanese have not made any substantial raid against the city. This is expected to change the moment that new supplies become available.

Japanese forces are expected to move next to occupy Mandalay, and then move up to reclaim Myitkyina. By that time, the Chinese divisions should be safely on their way to the India/Burma frontier.


300 Planes in Northern India

(TN - Dacca) According to sources in Southeast Asia Command, the British army presently has over 300 airplanes serving in north eastern India to protect the region from a Japanese attack. 100 of these are additional bombers shipped from the United States, across the south pacific, and up through the Indian Ocean. Other air squadrons are refugees from the Philippines and from India. The air force is expected to be able to put a significant dent in any plans for an amphibious assault against northern India.

Just wanted to put my support in for this AAR. This is great. Keep it up.

March 17, 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.


KIMMEL DEMANDS CARRIERS

(TN - Hawaii) Admiral Kimmel, commander of the Central Pacific theater against Japan, said in a letter to the War Department that he will not counter the Japanese at Wake Island unless he has a full compliment of carriers.

Kimmel reported in the letter that his staff has engaged in a number of war games concerning the defense of Wake Island. In wargames where three American aircraft carriers encounter the 6 Japanese fleet carriers, the battle ends with the complete destruction of the Allied forces. "I am not going to participate in the destruction of the American fleet," Kimmel wrote in the letter.


Japanese Advance to Mandalay

(TN - Dacca) Japanese infantry prepared to move back into Mandalay after Chinese forces abandoned the town. Citizens in Mandalay, communicating with Thayne News through radio, reported that Japanese units have reached the edge of the city. According to eye witness accounts, Japanese scouts approached the river south of the city. The bridges into town had already been destroyed. After waiting for the lead units to reach the river, scouts stepped into rafts and crossed the river. They were quickly able to report back that the Chinese units had left, and the city was open for occupation. By nightfall, the Japanese were crossing the river in force. It is expected that, by dawn, the Japanese will have full control of the city.

The move will leave Myitkyina, on the far north of Burma, as the only strategic center still in allied hands. The 1st Regiment of the Chinese 38th Division has already retreated out of the city toward Ledo, India. The 2nd and 3rd Regiments are on their way to the town to follow the 1st Regiment up the Ledo trail.

In the mean time, supplies continue to flow east along the same trail into western China at a rate of 500 tons per day.

As expected, the Japanese have stepped up its attacks against the Akyab defenders. However, the brief respite caused by the lack of supplies allowed the Akyab defenders to improve their positions. The Japanese assault was met by a solid defense that inflicted heavy casualties on the attackers. While the defenders continue to hold on, they are starting to suffer from a lack of supplies. General Pownall, commander of the Southeast Asia theater, has said that he will not resupply the defenders at Akyab. Their orders are to hang on as long as possible, then to retreat down the trail toward Dacca.


Manila Defense Fades

(TN - Manila) The defenses in Manila are starting to fade as the casualties inflicted on the defenders since the fall of Bataan approaches 50 percent. In yesterday's assault, Japan took control of the port region and turned its force inland, surrounding to the Intramuros section on three sides. The rapid assault resulted in over 100 Philippine casualties and the capture of approximately 500 prisoners. Outnumbered, now, by a force of 5 to 1, the Philippine defenders are waiting for the final assault to overwhelm the defenses.


Dutch Wither at Soerabaja

(TN - Soerabaja) A surgical strike at Soerabaja resulted in the loss of over 1000 Dutch soldiers, at an estimated cost of only 200 Japanese soldiers. The attack resulted in the capture of a large section of the southwestern corner of the city, and sliced through the Dutch defensive lines. The rapid destruction of the Dutch defenses caused ABDA to force the withdrawl of the remaining Dutch air units to Australia before the Japanese have the opportunity to destroy them on their landing fields.

The rapid loss of territory has been accompanied by the rapid loss of supplies. The Dutch units are burning through their last remaining supplies at such a rate that they may be out of food and ammunition by the end of the week.

Officials in the War Department is suggesting that Soerabaja and Manila both may be lost by the start of spring in four days.

March 18, 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.


MANILA SURRENDERS

(TN - Hawaii) Exactly 100 days after Japanese troops first set foot on Manila, The Philippine Army at Manila surrendered to the Japanese late yesterday. The day started off with another Japanese attack against allied defenses south of Intramuros. Then, the Japanese army launched an attack against Intramuros from the North. The attack quickly penetrated the Allied defenses and the Japanese Army was shortly capturing positions inside Intramuros. They overran two supply depots, and several artillery batteries.

The Philippine army assaulted the Intramuros in an attempt to drive the Japanese out of the fortified city, but made little headway.

With the loss of Intramuros inevitable, the Philippine army presented the Japanese with a request to surrender. Late in the afternoon, the guns went quiet. Nearly 13,000 soldiers marched out of the Philippine army section, leaving their weapons behind. After all of the soldiers had been marched off to retention centers, the Japanese moved in to collect the weapons and ammunition.

With the Japanese victory at Manila, another 70,000 Japanese soldiers are freed up to move to another section of the front. Military analysts note that the Japanese army in the Philippines still have a number of smaller objective to take. The Philippines consist of a number of smaller islands with their smaller garrisons. It is expected that some of the Japanese units will be used to clean up these stragglers. However, other units can be expected to move to the front. Allied Headquarters have warned its forces to expect renewed Japanese advances in the area of the Solomon Islands or New Guinea.


Macassar Captured

(TN - Soerabaja) Three days after the Japanese defeat in their first attempt to tale the port of Macassar, the Japanese forced the Dutch army out of the city in a second invasion. Unlike the first invasion, the second involved a heavy use of armor. The Japanese force landed east of the town and spent a day gathering their forces. Then they drove through the town. The Dutch army did not have sufficient weapons to challenge the tanks, which quickly reduced the Dutch defenses to rubble.


Mandalay Back in Japanese Hands

(TN - Dacca) The Japanese army reclaimed the city of Mandalay from the Chinese. According to sources within Mandalay, two Japanese divisions could be seen moving into the city, the 33rd Japanese Division and the 55th Japanese Division. These are the two Japanese divisions that have made a name for themselves in Burma. The 55th Division took the country nearly single handedly, and is most remembered for its stunning defeat of the British at Rangoon.

General Pownall, commander of the Southeast Asia Theater of operations, has expressed relief at the fact that the two divisions have been pulled off of Akyab. Two weeks after the attack on Akyab began, the Japanese still have only been able to commit one division, the Japanese 18th Division, to its effort to capture Akyab. The defenders of Akyab, though outnumbered by two to one, have been able to hold the Japanese division at bay. Unless the Japanese commit additional units to the effort, the Akyab defenders may be able to hold on indefinitely.

General Pownell gave unexpected approval yesterday to send additional supply to Akyab, on the condition that supplies reach the area without risking additional ships. Quartermaster units immediately went to work using small personal boats to deliver supplies by sailing close to the coast, and using pack animals and 4-wheel drive vehicles along the trails from eastern India. In just one day, soldiers using these efforts were able to ship an additional 200 tons of supply to the city.

The Akyab defenders, however, still face significant obstacles in their defense of the region. Malaria has so far taken more soldiers from the battle than the enemy. While Pownall has allowed fresh supplies to reach Akyab, he has been unwilling to commit fresh troops.

Pownall has also had to deal with units retreating from Burma in the north. Tired, worn, with a significant portion of its soldiers sick and unable to fight, the Burma units are absorbing all of the fresh units reaching India from England and other parts of the empire. According to one official, "We only have so many reinforcements and, after we have put them where we need them, we cannot magically conjure up more to send to Akyab."


Dutch Order to Evacuate Air Units Executed

(TN - Soerabaja) ABDA Command's order for air units to retire to Australia was finally executed yesterday, as the ground defense at Soerabaja continued to face. General Wavall ordered the air units out of the city when the Japanese army first appeared. However, the pilots procrastinated as they flew one mission after another out of the fields of Soerabaja, then returned to the fields for more fuel and ammunition. However, recent Japanese advances put the air fields within range of enemy artillery, leaving the pilots with little option but to abandon the fields.

ABDA Command's senior staff are also executing an order to retreat themselves to northern Australia. General Wavell, with great reluctance, obeyed an order to board a cargo plane which started him on a long trip to Darwin, Australia. In Australia, Wavell has been told that he is to organize the reoccupation of the Dutch East Indies.

March 19, 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.


SOERABAJA CAPTURED

(TN - Brisbane) General Wavell has sent a message to the commander of the Japanese invaders in Java asking for terms of surrender. A massive Japanese assault of on the city of Soerabaja early yesterday forced the Dutch army out of its defenses, and routed them. Remnants of several Dutch units managed to retreat south to Malang, but they report having no food, water, medicine, or ammunition. "Our part in this war is over," General Wavell said in his report.

General Wavell had been ordered to northern Australia to organize an eventual attempt to recapture the Dutch East Indies from the Japanese. In partial obedience of these orders, Wavell hand picked 200 officers and ordered them onto transports. At last report, they had completed the first leg of their journey to Waingapu on the island of Sumba. There, they were waiting for transports to pick them up and deliver them to Lautem. From Lautem, they hope to fly next to Darwin.


British Carrier Hermes Bombed

(TN - Dacca) Four Japanese bombers, heavily escorted by Zero fighters, penetrated the air defenses at Diamond Harbor and dropped two bombs on the British carrier Hermes as it sat in port. Both bombs penetrated the flight deck and did significant structural damage to the ship. Observers on the shore saw a massive bulge in the flight deck near the stern. Damage control parties quickly got the fires under control, and none of the damage inflicted on the ship penetrated the water line. Southeast Asia Command estimates it will take only a couple of months to repair the damage, and the Hermes will be back again.

Hermes' major duty to date has been to escort large freighter convoys to Diamond Harbor. Since the start of the war, Hermes has helped in the delivery of over 500,000 tons of supplies to eastern India from ports on the west side of the island. Its current trip to Dutch Harbor was a result of providing cover for 9 ships carrying over 60,000 tons of supplies. In earlier missions, Hermes covered the transportation of the Southeast Asia headquarters as it moved from Columbo to Diamond Harbor, and a freighter carrying a payload of 50 bombers from the west coast of the United States to Chadpur.

As if anticipating the loss of the Hermes, the British carrier Formidible showed up at Karachi yesterday to join the British forces. The Formidible is an Illustrious class carrier that holds 50% more airplanes than the Hermes; though its air capacity is still one third that of an American fleet carrier.


Massive Air Attack on Darwin; 20 Fighters Destroyed

(TN - Brisbane) The Japanese air force launched a massive air strike in Darwin yesterday. The strike consisted mostly of Japanese 'Zero' fighters whose mission seemed to be to wipe the Australian air force out of the sky. Spotters on the ground reported over 50 Australian and Dutch airplanes wiped from the sky. Southwest Pacific Command reports that the number was closer to 20, but this still represents a significant loss to the Allied air force. This attack, combined with the Japanese raid on Diamond Harbor in India, made yesterday the worst day for the Allied air force since December 7 with a total of 31 airplanes lost.

The raid caused senior staff members at Southwest Pacific Command to wonder whether Darwin air port could be secured well enough to keep Kai Island supplied and allow for the buildup of Aru Island.

Two days earlier, a fighter group of 70 P-39D aircraft were unloaded at Brisbane Harbor. Thompson immediately ordered these to Darwin to aid in the defense of the city.

March 20, 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.


PLANES RAIN IN PACIFIC

(TN - Denver) With the fall of Manila and Soerabaja in recent days, the war in the Pacific moved from the ground to the air. Unofficial numbers have 120 airplanes destroyed in three major air battles yesterday. Washington's official count of 70 airplanes lost on both sides of the war still represents a substantial loss of air power.

By the time the sun set, the Allied air forces seem to have won the day, but their victory came at a cost that cannot be sustained over the long run. Japanese fighter escort proved extremely effective at ripping through the Allied CAP. In air to air fighting, the official numbers out of Washington have the Japanese destroying Allied fighters at a rate of 2 to 1. However, the Japanese Zeros are unable to keep some Allied fighters from reaching the bomber squadron. Allied pilots destroyed two dozen enemy bombers in three raids, and turned back two of those raids.

The first significant Japanese raid of the day involved a flight of 40 Sally bombers attacking the British forces at Imphal, India. The Japanese Zeros brought down nearly every fighter that tried to challenge them whole losing only a small number of their own planes. However, some of the fighters managed to get past the Zeros and strike the bombers. These brought down a dozen bombers. Half of the remainder turned back without dropping their bombs. The few that went through did light damage to the facilities.

The second significant Japanese raid struck Darwin after noon. Again, the Japanese seemed less interested in bombing facilities in Darwin as in taking an opportunity to thin out the Combat Air Patrol over the city. Twenty Zero fighters escorted 4 bombers into the city. Darwin launched 40 fighters in defense of the city. Though the Allied fighters outnumbered the Japanese by two to one, they suffered losses at about the same ratio. The four Betty bombers turned and ran as the fighters reached their formation and did not suffer a loss.

The third significant Japanese raid of the day involved a mid-afternoon fight over Imphal. The Japanese brought in a few less fighters, but the British were able to put up a slightly larger combat air patrol. Again, the Zero pilots showed their mastery of the sky, bringing down a number of Allied airplanes. Again, some Allied pilots managed to intercept the bomber force and bring down a half dozen Betty bombers. The rest were forced back without reaching their destination.


Kimmel Orders Occupation of Howard Island

(TN - Hawaii) Kimmel gave the order yesterday to begin execution of a second part of his plan to disburse his forces across the central Pacific Islands.

Concerned with the crowded conditions that were being created on key islands in the Pacific, Kimmel earlier approved a plan to distribute his units more broadly across several islands.

Baker Island is a very small island barely large enough to hold an airfield. Yet, there are presently 10,000 soldiers stationed on the island. Kimmel's orders were to move some of the units from Baker to nearby Howland Island a short distance to the north. Howland Island is no larger than Baker, but moving units to that location will make both islands significantly less crowded, as well as give the Allied forces another airbase in the region.

An armored personnel boat with destroyer escort, which recently delivered reinforcements to Nanomea Atoll, has been ordered to stop off at Baker Island and pick up the 1st USMC Defense Battalion (the heroes of Wake), as well as air support units and transport them to Howland. Once there, the units will build an airfield, and the air units already at Baker Island will be disbursed across both islands as well.

In an earlier part of this plan of disbursing Central Pacific forces, Kimmel sent forces originally destined for Wake Island, including an engineer unit that had already landed at Wake, and sent them to Laysan Island instead. These units have since built a port on the island to more easily unload cargo, and are in the process of building an airfield. The Laysan Island garrison is also undergoing regular training to re-occupy Wake Island, or to reinforce its defenders, if the need should ever arise.


Jap Submarines Remain Active Off Of Eastern Australia

(TN - Brisbane) A Japanese submarine torpedoed the tanker La Brea as it approached Townsville yesterday. La Brea was a part of a 17-ship convoy delivering fuel, oil supplies, and troops to Townsville, Australia. The troops, the 26th USA Forward Artillery Brigade, were on the troop transport Van Neck. In addition, the task force contained the oiler Ramapo delivering essential raw materials for the Australian war industry. Neither ship was damaged in the attack. Allied escort ships were unable to locate the Japanese submarine. La Brea is expected to reach port, but it is heavily damaged and spilled over three fourths of its cargo into the sea.


Thursday Island Base Expanded

(TN - Brisbane) The 51st Base Force landed on Thursday Island yesterday to help build and operate war facilities on the island. The base force commander immediately took control of the airfields on the island, after which General Thomson ordered fighter squadrons to the island to help in its defense. The transports bringing the reinforcements also brought a seaplane tender, and a squadron of seaplanes took up station at the Thursday Island port. The port is to be used to keep the waterways between New Guinea and Australia open, allowing ships to pass from the east coast of Australia to Darwin.

Further east, at Port Moresby, soldiers continue to dig in as they wait for additional supplies. A convoy of transport ships are now two days away from Port Moresby. One of the transports in the convoy sank earlier as a result of a Japanese submarine.

After the reinforcement of Port Moresby, General Thompson is making plans for the occupation of Merauke, on the south coast of New Guinea, and Aru Island north of Darwin.

March 21, 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 SURRENDER JAVA

(TN - Brisbane) The Japanese have accepted the terms of surrender for the Dutch army at Java. The surrender was made inevitable two days ago, when the Japanese forced the Dutch out of Soerabaja without food, medicine, or ammunition. Since then, General Wavell has been leading negotiations for the remaining 25,000 soldiers to surrender to the Japanese.

Efforts are still underway to try to salvage remnants of the Dutch army. Transport airplanes are operating on the eastern side of the island to bring out 260 officers from ABDA Headquarters ordered to evacuate the islands. The officers will be responsible for engineering a return to the Dutch East Indies. Twenty key officers have already made it to Derby in northern Australia.

Transport aircraft are also engaged in an operation to bring out as many remnants of the Molukken Garrison Battalion. This unit was forced out of Amboina approximately a month ago and have since retreated to Bulla on the same island. For the past several days, seaplanes have been landing at Bulla and picking up as many soldiers as can fit. One hundred and twenty-four soldiers have already been brought back to Darwin.

Focus Shifts to Northern Australia

After a brief period of rest, remnants of the Dutch army will fly out again and establish a forward garrison on Aru Island. Aru Island will be under the air umbrella at Darwin. Darwin is being built up as the anchor for the Allied operations to retake the Dutch East Indies. With an air force of 250 airplanes and a ground force of 60,000 soldiers, Darwin is considered relatively secure for the time being.

In order to support its forces at Darwin, the Australian government has established a convoy system to carry men and equipment up from the port cities of Sydney and Melbourne, through Alice Springs in central Australia, and up to Darwin.

The Australian Army has been working on creating a supply chain through the Australian desert to northern Australia. Since the first days of the war, the Australian government has asked for civilians with anything from a pickup truck to a farm tractor and trailer to volunteer to participate in the Darwin Road Project. Built on the same model as the Burma Road, which has been supplying China through Burma, the Burma Road consists of fueling stations every 200 miles from Alice Springs in central Australia, to Darwin on the north coast. The Australian government has also authorized emergency expenditures to make inexpensive trucks, particularly tanker trucks to haul vital airplane fuel to Darwin.


Burma Road Closed Again

(TN - Dacca) The Japanese gained control of the northern Burma town of Myitkyina yesterday and closed the Burma Road once more. Over 6,000 tons of supply made it through to China during the brief time period that General Zhu created when he recaptured the city. The additional supplies will be welcome in the China fight. However, the Chinese are now once again limited to obtaining a meager amount of supplies through air convoy.

Allied Command is presently engaged in operations to boost the ability of the Pacific Theater of Operations to fly supplies into northern China. A transport squadron is presently approaching Ceylon from Australia with a squadron of cargo planes. In addition, a convoy containing the components of seven transport squadrons has been sailing across the Pacific from the West Coast of the United States. The convoy is presently nearing Wellington and is expected to reach India by the end of April.

General Pownall has expressed an interest in capturing and holding Myityina as soon as his ground forces have reached sufficient strength. Pownall's long-term war strategy is to try to push an American and British army through northern Burma into China, and to use them to retake the port of Hong Kong. Pownell argues that such an operation would cut the Japanese Asian army in half --separating Japan from its resource centers in the south and cutting Malaysia and Burma off from military equipment manufactured in Japan.

The maneuver would require moving through some very difficult terrain, causing many members of the senior staff in the Southeast Asia Command to question the maneuver. However, aids close to Pownall report that the general is taking his inspiration from Hitler's defeat of France, with northern Burma being his Ardennes Forest. France fell quickly largely because the allied armies doubted Hitler's ability to move a large attack force through the Ardennes Forest, allowing Hitler to catch the defenders by surprise. Pownell is said to be depending on Japanese surprise at an invasion force striking from southern China to Hong Kong.


British Retain Control Over Imphal Skies

(TN - Dacca) The Japanese launched another huge raid against the airfield at Imphal yesterday, and met determined resistance from the British fighters stationed there.

The defense was probably larger than the Japanese expected. Two weeks ago, General Pownall ordered the 222 RAF Base Force to support air operations at Imphal. Since the heavy raids two days ago, the Base Force went into operation. With it, Pownall moved two additional squadrons of fighters to the city, which significantly boosted the city's air defenses. The Japanese, after decimating the fighter cover over Imphal two days ago, may have been surprised to find an even larger defensive force over Imphal in its most recent raid.

The raid consisted of about 20 Zero fighters and nearly 80 bombers. The Zeros inflicted heavy damage on the defenders, but the British managed to turn away or shoot down 55 bombers, leaving a small number to attack the Imphal airfields. The Japanese who completed their attacks were able to inflict only light damage.


Mandalay Defensive Group Reaches Safety

(TN - Dacca) Also at Imphal, the last remnants of the Mandalay Defensive Group to leave Burma reached the city of Imphal. As soldiers have filed out of the jungle, they have been met with emergency medical personnel who immediately administered treatment for malaria and exhaustion. The soldiers literally collapse as they step through the safety of the Imphal defensive lines. As soon as they are fit to travel, the soldiers will then be loaded into trucks and taken to Dacca for a period of refit and retraining. Those who are no longer fit for battle -- a substantial portion of the Mandalay Defensive Group -- will be reassigned to non combat duties.

Southeast Asia Command was unable to provide Thayne News with the number of soldiers lost in Burma. The Japanese inflicted few casualties compared to those inflicted by the weather and disease.

Three Chinese divisions now occupy the trail from northern Burma into India. It is expected to take them at least two months to make the trip, after which they will be about as badly depleted as the Mandalay defensive group. The Chinese units will also be ordered to Dacca for a period of refit and retraining before rejoining the fight. The Chinese units will obtain replacements from soldiers brought back through air convoys presently delivering supplies to Yunan.