Very good results for this stage in the war. Were BBs Hiei and Kirishima, CAs Tone and Chikuma present? I wonder if they were split off to a different TF so they could donate their fuel to the carriers? If so, they will be limping along one hex a turn somewhere between PH and their nearest base. If they were still in the TF, all will be short on fuel and the DDs may even be out of fuel.
As for air battle, it looks like Shokaku, Soryu and Akagi are still in fairly good shape. If they are out of fuel, it might reduce their ability to launch planes quickly. Good luck!
Rumble in the N. Pacific. Kaleun vs Alex L
Moderators: wdolson, MOD_War-in-the-Pacific-Admirals-Edition
RE: Rumble in the N. Pacific. Kaleun vs Alex L
No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
RE: Rumble in the N. Pacific. Kaleun vs Alex L
Right by the map in the prior post.Holy buckets - nice going! Where did this take place!
The map was meant as dramatic staging. Guess it didn't work[8|]
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Rumble in the N. Pacific. Kaleun vs Alex L
The Japanese icons lost their colour - I thought both carrier TFs shown were US.
No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
RE: Rumble in the N. Pacific. Kaleun vs Alex L
They are US carriers TF. One is Lex and the big E, the second one Saratoga. There is also a replenishmet task force from which they fueled.
The Japanese carriers, though suspected of being in the area withdrawing from Pearl had not been definitely located yet.
Also of interest, the flight decks of Saratoga and Lex were loaded with one marine fighter and dive bomber unit with which they had started the game. I forgot to offload the vindicators at Midway[:(]
More to come today.
The Japanese carriers, though suspected of being in the area withdrawing from Pearl had not been definitely located yet.
Also of interest, the flight decks of Saratoga and Lex were loaded with one marine fighter and dive bomber unit with which they had started the game. I forgot to offload the vindicators at Midway[:(]
More to come today.
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Rumble in the N. Pacific. Kaleun vs Alex L
December 18th 1941
Alea iacta est. The roll of the die, the luck of the draw. War is sometimes random; a mile further north may mean the difference between life and death, between living to fight another day, or sinking into the deep.
The allied carrier task forces centered on Lexington and Saratoga are ordered back to the West coast. Despite their success, they are still outnumbered. It is not felt wise to risk those assets blindly. The mighty ships turn their prows east.
Behind them, and further south, Enterprise struggles with the flooding from the two torpedoes that hit her. At low speed, to avoid further damage, she braves the waves and heads, she too, towards home.
A sharp lookout sees the two streaks and gives warning.
“Torpedoes, off starboard bow!”
At 7 knots, the flat top has no chance. There is only time to flinch. Two explosions rock the ship. There is no doubt, no hesitation. She was struggling before, now she founders.
“Abandon ship.”
Most of the crew makes it out of her. Some of her escorts chase the enemy submarine, in vain. Others crowd about to rescue as many men as possible.
She is not the only allied ship to sink tonight.
CL Dragon hit by two torpedoes from SS-I-154 goes down with great loss of life.
Other tragedies: Clark falls, so does Victoria Point and Alor Star, Nauru and Guam, the female English voice of Radio Tokyo, already dubbed Tokyo Rose by the servicemen, brags. Many men refuse to believe her when she narrates the loss of Enterprise. They should. She doesn’t need to lie. Not yet.
SS-41. On station off Dadjangas.
Frustration fills the iron hull of the tired, old submarine. They’ve been chasing shadows for the last eleven days. Except for their success against that destroyer, they have seen nothing, attacked nothing, and heard nothing, except bad news. Now there seem to be some enemy ships at Jolo. A light carrier even has been seen there. SS-41 will go investigate.
“Want to bet we’ll be late?” says the chief of the boat.
No one takes him up on his offer.
“At least we have mark 10s,” Joe Cabana, torpedoman’s mate says.
A message intercepted from Skipjack reports yet another torpedo attack that failed after two torpedoes were seen to hit the target yet fail to explode. She evaded the enemy counterattack and sent in the contact report.
It seems the Japanese invasion at Vigan will not be hindered by the US submarines.
Alea iacta est. The roll of the die, the luck of the draw. War is sometimes random; a mile further north may mean the difference between life and death, between living to fight another day, or sinking into the deep.
The allied carrier task forces centered on Lexington and Saratoga are ordered back to the West coast. Despite their success, they are still outnumbered. It is not felt wise to risk those assets blindly. The mighty ships turn their prows east.
Behind them, and further south, Enterprise struggles with the flooding from the two torpedoes that hit her. At low speed, to avoid further damage, she braves the waves and heads, she too, towards home.
A sharp lookout sees the two streaks and gives warning.
“Torpedoes, off starboard bow!”
At 7 knots, the flat top has no chance. There is only time to flinch. Two explosions rock the ship. There is no doubt, no hesitation. She was struggling before, now she founders.
“Abandon ship.”
Most of the crew makes it out of her. Some of her escorts chase the enemy submarine, in vain. Others crowd about to rescue as many men as possible.
She is not the only allied ship to sink tonight.
CL Dragon hit by two torpedoes from SS-I-154 goes down with great loss of life.
Other tragedies: Clark falls, so does Victoria Point and Alor Star, Nauru and Guam, the female English voice of Radio Tokyo, already dubbed Tokyo Rose by the servicemen, brags. Many men refuse to believe her when she narrates the loss of Enterprise. They should. She doesn’t need to lie. Not yet.
SS-41. On station off Dadjangas.
Frustration fills the iron hull of the tired, old submarine. They’ve been chasing shadows for the last eleven days. Except for their success against that destroyer, they have seen nothing, attacked nothing, and heard nothing, except bad news. Now there seem to be some enemy ships at Jolo. A light carrier even has been seen there. SS-41 will go investigate.
“Want to bet we’ll be late?” says the chief of the boat.
No one takes him up on his offer.
“At least we have mark 10s,” Joe Cabana, torpedoman’s mate says.
A message intercepted from Skipjack reports yet another torpedo attack that failed after two torpedoes were seen to hit the target yet fail to explode. She evaded the enemy counterattack and sent in the contact report.
It seems the Japanese invasion at Vigan will not be hindered by the US submarines.
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Rumble in the N. Pacific. Kaleun vs Alex L
December 19th 1941
Enemy bomber have been hitting Singapore, port and airfield daily. The enemy bombers target Prince of Wales at the dry dock. Despite the battleship’s heavy armor, the bombs always do some damage; worse is the delays they cause on the repairs that the battleship needs to be able to leave harbor safely. Today the naval authorities decide that the battleship must leave Singapore, as is, and try its luck on the passage to Batavia. There is no question of the hurt capital ship attempting the Malacca straits.
The Royal Navy has taken its licks, perhaps not as hard as the US Navy, but she did not have as many assets in place either. There is one thing the Imperial Japanese Navy and the Royal Navy have in common though.
None of them like to play defense.
The British are not stupid. They know they have no assets to slug it out with the Japanese. The US cannot help either. But they have a plan. A plan to hit back, and perhaps slow down the Japanese’s game development.
There is, at Darwin, a small fleet of light cruisers. AT Colombo, CVL Hermes with a wing of obsolescent Swordfish biplanes on deck sits at anchor. During the night, a small task force, CVL Hermes, and the light cruisers Enterprise, Dauntless, Glasgow and Caledon slip their moorings and under Commodore Cpt RRJ Ownlaw, they set out to sea.
SS Cachalot.
FROM COMSUBPAC
TO ALL PAC SUBMARINES.
Be advised, USS Gudgeon reports being followed by Japanese carrier aircraft, North of Lahaina. KB suspected in vicinity. Attack carriers if feasible.
SS Tambor. LCDR Murphy commanding.
Tambor arrives at Pearl Harbor. The chaos may be gone but the devastation remains. LCDR Murphy, conning the submarine into the shadow of USS AS Pelias. Only two battleships remain afloat: Maryland and Pennsylvania. They sit in dry dock. Maryland’s upper works are a ruined tangle of blackened, molten metal. Only her flooding is not too bad, they say. Pennsylvania’s upper works still resemble those of a battleship, of sorts, but she sits low in the water, with half her compartments flooded. Rumor has it that none of those will be ready to leave harbor in less than a year to a year and a half.
An officer tells Murphy that the Japanese only actually sunk two battlewagons. The rest were scuttled, too damaged to repair before the end of the war.
“It will be faster to build new battleships than to repair these old ones,” Nimitz reportedly said.
Murphy looks at Maryland and wonders how bad were the other ships, the ones that were scuttled.
SS-41
Fuel level 72% heading for Jolo.
Enemy bomber have been hitting Singapore, port and airfield daily. The enemy bombers target Prince of Wales at the dry dock. Despite the battleship’s heavy armor, the bombs always do some damage; worse is the delays they cause on the repairs that the battleship needs to be able to leave harbor safely. Today the naval authorities decide that the battleship must leave Singapore, as is, and try its luck on the passage to Batavia. There is no question of the hurt capital ship attempting the Malacca straits.
The Royal Navy has taken its licks, perhaps not as hard as the US Navy, but she did not have as many assets in place either. There is one thing the Imperial Japanese Navy and the Royal Navy have in common though.
None of them like to play defense.
The British are not stupid. They know they have no assets to slug it out with the Japanese. The US cannot help either. But they have a plan. A plan to hit back, and perhaps slow down the Japanese’s game development.
There is, at Darwin, a small fleet of light cruisers. AT Colombo, CVL Hermes with a wing of obsolescent Swordfish biplanes on deck sits at anchor. During the night, a small task force, CVL Hermes, and the light cruisers Enterprise, Dauntless, Glasgow and Caledon slip their moorings and under Commodore Cpt RRJ Ownlaw, they set out to sea.
SS Cachalot.
FROM COMSUBPAC
TO ALL PAC SUBMARINES.
Be advised, USS Gudgeon reports being followed by Japanese carrier aircraft, North of Lahaina. KB suspected in vicinity. Attack carriers if feasible.
SS Tambor. LCDR Murphy commanding.
Tambor arrives at Pearl Harbor. The chaos may be gone but the devastation remains. LCDR Murphy, conning the submarine into the shadow of USS AS Pelias. Only two battleships remain afloat: Maryland and Pennsylvania. They sit in dry dock. Maryland’s upper works are a ruined tangle of blackened, molten metal. Only her flooding is not too bad, they say. Pennsylvania’s upper works still resemble those of a battleship, of sorts, but she sits low in the water, with half her compartments flooded. Rumor has it that none of those will be ready to leave harbor in less than a year to a year and a half.
An officer tells Murphy that the Japanese only actually sunk two battlewagons. The rest were scuttled, too damaged to repair before the end of the war.
“It will be faster to build new battleships than to repair these old ones,” Nimitz reportedly said.
Murphy looks at Maryland and wonders how bad were the other ships, the ones that were scuttled.
SS-41
Fuel level 72% heading for Jolo.
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Rumble in the N. Pacific. Kaleun vs Alex L
December 21st
At San Francisco, Saratoga and Lexington offload the remains of Enterprise’s flight groups. The two task forces disband together with Enterprises escorts. It will take 5 days for the minor repairs to Saratoga to be completed.
The 56th US Coastal artillery and the 112th US Base force embark, at SFO for Luganville.
Singapore is bombed again and POW takes some more hits. It will still take two days to make the battleship ready (somehow) to sail.
Another tragedy for the allies: CL Mauritius, escorting a transport task force, carrying one of the precious air HQs from Singapore arrives at Palembang only to find a large destroyer surface task force. Despite the light cruiser’s fevered efforts, the two transports are sunk and the air HQ is lost.
In preparation for its evacuation, a single xAK will try to run the gauntlet of the Malacca straits. Perhaps chances are better along the Malaya coast than trying to go south.
The US Navy wants, needs, to go on some kind of offensive. The S boats are too short ranged and slow to be used in the defensive role that they have been used up to now. US sub bases are too far away from the enemy home islands for the fleet boats to be very effective.
Perhaps there is a place, where the US territory is near enough to Japan, to allow the S boats to strike at the enemy merchant fleet.
Orders are given: Construct a submarine base at Attu Is.
How to do it, that, the admirals do not say.
At San Francisco, Saratoga and Lexington offload the remains of Enterprise’s flight groups. The two task forces disband together with Enterprises escorts. It will take 5 days for the minor repairs to Saratoga to be completed.
The 56th US Coastal artillery and the 112th US Base force embark, at SFO for Luganville.
Singapore is bombed again and POW takes some more hits. It will still take two days to make the battleship ready (somehow) to sail.
Another tragedy for the allies: CL Mauritius, escorting a transport task force, carrying one of the precious air HQs from Singapore arrives at Palembang only to find a large destroyer surface task force. Despite the light cruiser’s fevered efforts, the two transports are sunk and the air HQ is lost.
In preparation for its evacuation, a single xAK will try to run the gauntlet of the Malacca straits. Perhaps chances are better along the Malaya coast than trying to go south.
The US Navy wants, needs, to go on some kind of offensive. The S boats are too short ranged and slow to be used in the defensive role that they have been used up to now. US sub bases are too far away from the enemy home islands for the fleet boats to be very effective.
Perhaps there is a place, where the US territory is near enough to Japan, to allow the S boats to strike at the enemy merchant fleet.
Orders are given: Construct a submarine base at Attu Is.
How to do it, that, the admirals do not say.
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Rumble in the N. Pacific. Kaleun vs Alex L
December 22nd 1941
xAK Neleus attempts the Malacca straits but SSI-156 cripples her with a torpedo one day out of Singapore. Later in the day, Zero fighters hit her with cannon fire until a 60 Kg bomb puts the ship out of her misery.
Prince of Wales, in a small escort convoy will attempt to run the enemy gauntlet south to Batavia.
The convoy consists of POW SD 60, FD 53, Eng 14, CL Danae SD 12 and DD Vendetta and Stronghold. From Batavia they will sail either to Soerabaja or Perth.
Clark field falls.
SS-41
At Jolo, the anchorage is empty, the enemy ships gone. The small submarine approaches harbor and refuels. The locals, happy to see the American sailors give them bananas, vegetables and a small live pig. The sub is ordered to patrol off Tarakan.
No battle plan survives contact with the enemy. War Plan Orange is no different. The plan was shattered, perforated, sunk and utterly destroyed. The Americans and Philippinos trapped in Bataan will not see the US Navy arriving, flying the flag, to save the day. They are the expendable pawns on the game of war. Even so, every day that they resist is one more day that the Japanese do not have access to the facilities in Manila bay. It is one more day that the shipyard is denied to them and that means their ships have to go that much further to seek repairs.
At Soerabaja, the harbor teems with US submarines seeking to make their new home there, in the paradisiacal island of Java.
SS: Salmon, Swordfish, Sealion, Seawolf, S-37, S-38, S-40, SS Tarpon, Perch, Sailfish (known as the Squailfish), Seadragon, Searaven, and S-39 are all there. SS Pickerel is there too, but in the shipyard with 42% flotation damage, repair estimate 17 days.
Rear Admiral Pieter Koenraad is the local marine commander and, pro tem, commander also of the US submarines.
It would not do for the poor basterds at Bataan to feel abandoned. Five US submarines, Perch, Salmon, Squailfish, Swordfish and Sealion load up to the rafters with supplies; mostly ammunition and canned fruit, and set off for Bataan. If they evade Japanese patrols and the Japanese minefields around the peninsula, these supplies might give the troops a little morale boost.
xAK Neleus attempts the Malacca straits but SSI-156 cripples her with a torpedo one day out of Singapore. Later in the day, Zero fighters hit her with cannon fire until a 60 Kg bomb puts the ship out of her misery.
Prince of Wales, in a small escort convoy will attempt to run the enemy gauntlet south to Batavia.
The convoy consists of POW SD 60, FD 53, Eng 14, CL Danae SD 12 and DD Vendetta and Stronghold. From Batavia they will sail either to Soerabaja or Perth.
Clark field falls.
SS-41
At Jolo, the anchorage is empty, the enemy ships gone. The small submarine approaches harbor and refuels. The locals, happy to see the American sailors give them bananas, vegetables and a small live pig. The sub is ordered to patrol off Tarakan.
No battle plan survives contact with the enemy. War Plan Orange is no different. The plan was shattered, perforated, sunk and utterly destroyed. The Americans and Philippinos trapped in Bataan will not see the US Navy arriving, flying the flag, to save the day. They are the expendable pawns on the game of war. Even so, every day that they resist is one more day that the Japanese do not have access to the facilities in Manila bay. It is one more day that the shipyard is denied to them and that means their ships have to go that much further to seek repairs.
At Soerabaja, the harbor teems with US submarines seeking to make their new home there, in the paradisiacal island of Java.
SS: Salmon, Swordfish, Sealion, Seawolf, S-37, S-38, S-40, SS Tarpon, Perch, Sailfish (known as the Squailfish), Seadragon, Searaven, and S-39 are all there. SS Pickerel is there too, but in the shipyard with 42% flotation damage, repair estimate 17 days.
Rear Admiral Pieter Koenraad is the local marine commander and, pro tem, commander also of the US submarines.
It would not do for the poor basterds at Bataan to feel abandoned. Five US submarines, Perch, Salmon, Squailfish, Swordfish and Sealion load up to the rafters with supplies; mostly ammunition and canned fruit, and set off for Bataan. If they evade Japanese patrols and the Japanese minefields around the peninsula, these supplies might give the troops a little morale boost.
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Rumble in the N. Pacific. Kaleun vs Alex L
OK - I get it: S-41 = pig boat, so they give her a small pig "mascot". Ever smell a pig barn? I expect there will be pulled-pork sandwiches from the galley within two days!
No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
RE: Rumble in the N. Pacific. Kaleun vs Alex L
They are really supposed to eat the pig. Some fresh meat is always appreciated.
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Rumble in the N. Pacific. Kaleun vs Alex L
Dec 23rd
It wasn’t going to be that easy. POW, Danae, Vendetta and Stronghold meet the heavy cruisers Atago Kumano and Suzuya, the light cruiser Jintsu and 3 destroyers. Despite its injuries, POW achieves penetrating hits on Atago. After an indecisive exchange of fire and torpedoes, both task forces break off.
Off Suva, I-173 sunk an xAK.
Near Palenbang, CL Danae, attacked by SS I-158 gets hit by one torpedo. With heavy flotation damage she heads for Batavia.
SS Cachalot.
KB has not been seen since the 19th. Each day that passes increases the area where the enemy carriers might be hiding. New orders arrive. The US submarines will wait for the carriers at the entrance to the Japanese naval shipyards. Cachalot will patrol off Yokohama.
A support task force departs San Francisco for the Aleutian island of Attu. The plan is to establish a submarine base at that desolate outpost. No one asked the sailors though.
December 24th
Christmas Eve. Not a Merry Christmas anywhere in the Pacific; except for Japan, but they don’t celebrate Christmas.
At Singapore the fateful decision has to be made. Despite the waters teeming with Japanese, all vessels in the harbor that are capable of sailing will do so. A plethora of small single and two vessel task forces will attempt to break out. Perhaps some will get through.
To add insult to injury, Zeros bomb the POW task force and achieve 3 hits on the long suffering CL Danae with 60Kg bombs. The task force continues to steam south at 7 knots.
Tarawa, Kuala Lumpur, Taytay, and Davao fall.
Pallisier in Repulse, with light cruisers picked up at Soerabaja will attempt a raid on the vicinity of Singapore.
In San Francisco, Task force Air 1, under Fletcher departs for the south Pacific. It will drop off the marine fighters and vindicators as it passes near Midway. The carriers will not approach too closely though as there is a heavy enemy submarine presence around the island. Lexington, Saratoga, with the cruisers Portland and Astoria and 4 destroyers depart at cruise speed to conserve fuel. A replenishment task force of tankers and oilers, Repl-1 follows.
There is scarcely any fuel to be had south of Pearl Harbor. What the carriers will do, arriving at Suva unable to refuel is an open question.
S-41
Tarakan harbor is empty of enemy shipping. Despite the enemy forces, the Dutch flag still flies. The submarine creeps in and refuels. The sailors share their cigarettes and little else with the Dutch garrison. They then leave quietly. New orders. Patrol near Dadjangas. The course is ESE.
USS Cachalot.
The submarine runs ENE on the surface. Nothing is seen. No ships, no airplanes. Only an empty sea. Fuel status 67%
It wasn’t going to be that easy. POW, Danae, Vendetta and Stronghold meet the heavy cruisers Atago Kumano and Suzuya, the light cruiser Jintsu and 3 destroyers. Despite its injuries, POW achieves penetrating hits on Atago. After an indecisive exchange of fire and torpedoes, both task forces break off.
Off Suva, I-173 sunk an xAK.
Near Palenbang, CL Danae, attacked by SS I-158 gets hit by one torpedo. With heavy flotation damage she heads for Batavia.
SS Cachalot.
KB has not been seen since the 19th. Each day that passes increases the area where the enemy carriers might be hiding. New orders arrive. The US submarines will wait for the carriers at the entrance to the Japanese naval shipyards. Cachalot will patrol off Yokohama.
A support task force departs San Francisco for the Aleutian island of Attu. The plan is to establish a submarine base at that desolate outpost. No one asked the sailors though.
December 24th
Christmas Eve. Not a Merry Christmas anywhere in the Pacific; except for Japan, but they don’t celebrate Christmas.
At Singapore the fateful decision has to be made. Despite the waters teeming with Japanese, all vessels in the harbor that are capable of sailing will do so. A plethora of small single and two vessel task forces will attempt to break out. Perhaps some will get through.
To add insult to injury, Zeros bomb the POW task force and achieve 3 hits on the long suffering CL Danae with 60Kg bombs. The task force continues to steam south at 7 knots.
Tarawa, Kuala Lumpur, Taytay, and Davao fall.
Pallisier in Repulse, with light cruisers picked up at Soerabaja will attempt a raid on the vicinity of Singapore.
In San Francisco, Task force Air 1, under Fletcher departs for the south Pacific. It will drop off the marine fighters and vindicators as it passes near Midway. The carriers will not approach too closely though as there is a heavy enemy submarine presence around the island. Lexington, Saratoga, with the cruisers Portland and Astoria and 4 destroyers depart at cruise speed to conserve fuel. A replenishment task force of tankers and oilers, Repl-1 follows.
There is scarcely any fuel to be had south of Pearl Harbor. What the carriers will do, arriving at Suva unable to refuel is an open question.
S-41
Tarakan harbor is empty of enemy shipping. Despite the enemy forces, the Dutch flag still flies. The submarine creeps in and refuels. The sailors share their cigarettes and little else with the Dutch garrison. They then leave quietly. New orders. Patrol near Dadjangas. The course is ESE.
USS Cachalot.
The submarine runs ENE on the surface. Nothing is seen. No ships, no airplanes. Only an empty sea. Fuel status 67%
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Rumble in the N. Pacific. Kaleun vs Alex L
Dec 25 1941
Pellisier’s force Z raid, its objective unclear, meets Zero fighters that achieve some success. DD Tenedos suffers 6 shell hits. The best that can be said is that it drew the fighters off the multitude of ships fleeing Singapore.
Ocean Island, Manado and Tavoy captured by the enemy.
S-41
Ordered to patrol the north entrance to the Makassar straits.
“I wish the MFs would make their minds up,” a salty torpedo man comments, to no one in particular. The pig is the main course at Christmas dinner.
USS Tambor.
Lt Commander JW Murphy cons the submarine out of the harbor. Her destination S. Angoshima Island off the coast of Honshu. The Lt Commander does not believe they will actually patrol there.
“They will change our patrol area a few times before we get there,” he tells his XO.
SS Gudgeon sailing north of Midway reports being snooped by a Japanese carrier airplane. KB must be near.
Pellisier’s force Z raid, its objective unclear, meets Zero fighters that achieve some success. DD Tenedos suffers 6 shell hits. The best that can be said is that it drew the fighters off the multitude of ships fleeing Singapore.
Ocean Island, Manado and Tavoy captured by the enemy.
S-41
Ordered to patrol the north entrance to the Makassar straits.
“I wish the MFs would make their minds up,” a salty torpedo man comments, to no one in particular. The pig is the main course at Christmas dinner.
USS Tambor.
Lt Commander JW Murphy cons the submarine out of the harbor. Her destination S. Angoshima Island off the coast of Honshu. The Lt Commander does not believe they will actually patrol there.
“They will change our patrol area a few times before we get there,” he tells his XO.
SS Gudgeon sailing north of Midway reports being snooped by a Japanese carrier airplane. KB must be near.
- Attachments
-
- KBappearance.jpg (282.35 KiB) Viewed 601 times
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Rumble in the N. Pacific. Kaleun vs Alex L
December 26 1941
They almost made it. BB Kongo et al sink POW and CL Danae, almost within sight of Batavia. The only enemy casualty was DD Ariake. Stronghold and Vendetta, though damaged, make their escape.
Off Eastern Australia, CA Australia sinks to a torpedo from its nemesis SSI -159. She had been hit a few days earlier while transiting north. She continued her journey but, after flooding got worse decided to turn back. SSI-159 was waiting.
Rabaul invaded.
They almost made it. BB Kongo et al sink POW and CL Danae, almost within sight of Batavia. The only enemy casualty was DD Ariake. Stronghold and Vendetta, though damaged, make their escape.
Off Eastern Australia, CA Australia sinks to a torpedo from its nemesis SSI -159. She had been hit a few days earlier while transiting north. She continued her journey but, after flooding got worse decided to turn back. SSI-159 was waiting.
Rabaul invaded.
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Rumble in the N. Pacific. Kaleun vs Alex L
December 27th
Enemy carriers attack Soerabaja port. Houston is hit three times, and submarine tender Zuiderkais once.
The effort to evacuate Singapore harbor fails with most ships succumbing to enemy submarine and surface forces.
West of Oosthaven, SSI-165 attacks Repulse, but misses and takes 2 depth charge hits from the angry escorts. SSI-162 attacks again DD Witte de With, and misses too.
In the Indian Ocean, Swordfish from Hermes report an enemy submarine west of Java.
At Pearl Harbor, tough decisions need to be made. Pennsylvania is moved out of the shipyard, to allow other ships that will repair faster to move in.
Enemy carriers attack Soerabaja port. Houston is hit three times, and submarine tender Zuiderkais once.
The effort to evacuate Singapore harbor fails with most ships succumbing to enemy submarine and surface forces.
West of Oosthaven, SSI-165 attacks Repulse, but misses and takes 2 depth charge hits from the angry escorts. SSI-162 attacks again DD Witte de With, and misses too.
In the Indian Ocean, Swordfish from Hermes report an enemy submarine west of Java.
At Pearl Harbor, tough decisions need to be made. Pennsylvania is moved out of the shipyard, to allow other ships that will repair faster to move in.
- Attachments
-
- Pearlrepairs.jpg (251.9 KiB) Viewed 601 times
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Rumble in the N. Pacific. Kaleun vs Alex L
December 28th
The Battlecruiser Repulse task force puts into Tilatjap to refuel before continuing route to Australia. While there, they are attacked by Kates from baby KB in the Java Sea. The AA is thick and accurate and the attack is repelled without losses.
In Asia, the Japanese assault on Hong Kong begins.
From: SUBPAC
To: NPAC Submarines
KB spotted 760nm NNE Midway. Heading W.
All submarines change courses to locate themselves between the Japanese carriers and home.
December 29th 41
An enemy surface combat task force, led by BB Yamashiro puts in ay Tilatjap, looking, undoubtedly for Repulse. Pallisier has left already and is heading SE in the general direction of Australia, as yet undecided whether to head for Perth, remaining in the UK controlled part of the theater, but with little fuel and far from the action, or to Darwin, at the limit between US and UK control, nearer the action, but no better in terms of fuel and supplies.
Intelligence postulates three enemy carrier forces:
KB located in the NPAC, for the time being out of the action.
Small air task force near Batavia.
Small Air task force near Kendari.
Moulmein captured by the enemy.
CV Yorktown arrives at San Diego. Unfortunately there are not enough fighters to fill out its fighter group. Also, there are no escorts at the harbor and, the enemy submarine success being what it is, the Navy doesn’t dare let it leave unescorted.
The Battlecruiser Repulse task force puts into Tilatjap to refuel before continuing route to Australia. While there, they are attacked by Kates from baby KB in the Java Sea. The AA is thick and accurate and the attack is repelled without losses.
In Asia, the Japanese assault on Hong Kong begins.
From: SUBPAC
To: NPAC Submarines
KB spotted 760nm NNE Midway. Heading W.
All submarines change courses to locate themselves between the Japanese carriers and home.
December 29th 41
An enemy surface combat task force, led by BB Yamashiro puts in ay Tilatjap, looking, undoubtedly for Repulse. Pallisier has left already and is heading SE in the general direction of Australia, as yet undecided whether to head for Perth, remaining in the UK controlled part of the theater, but with little fuel and far from the action, or to Darwin, at the limit between US and UK control, nearer the action, but no better in terms of fuel and supplies.
Intelligence postulates three enemy carrier forces:
KB located in the NPAC, for the time being out of the action.
Small air task force near Batavia.
Small Air task force near Kendari.
Moulmein captured by the enemy.
CV Yorktown arrives at San Diego. Unfortunately there are not enough fighters to fill out its fighter group. Also, there are no escorts at the harbor and, the enemy submarine success being what it is, the Navy doesn’t dare let it leave unescorted.
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Rumble in the N. Pacific. Kaleun vs Alex L
December 30.
Dadjangas and Singao invaded with fast transport task forces.
The enemy battleship force led by Yamashiro remains at Tilatjap waiting for something. Repulse continues her SSE coast, Palliser still undecided whether to head for Perth or Darwin.
Gasmata falls.
December 31st.
Yamashiro continues to bombard Tilatjap daily. Guadalcanal invaded by the Japanese. Surigao captured.
SS-41
The plucky little submarine arrived at Soerabaja yesterday. The crew receives a very short shore leave, just enough to visit the famed Javanese beauties, and develop a decent arrack hangover.
SS Cachalot.
On station, off the coast of Japan, nothing in sight and fuel at 50%
Dadjangas and Singao invaded with fast transport task forces.
The enemy battleship force led by Yamashiro remains at Tilatjap waiting for something. Repulse continues her SSE coast, Palliser still undecided whether to head for Perth or Darwin.
Gasmata falls.
December 31st.
Yamashiro continues to bombard Tilatjap daily. Guadalcanal invaded by the Japanese. Surigao captured.
SS-41
The plucky little submarine arrived at Soerabaja yesterday. The crew receives a very short shore leave, just enough to visit the famed Javanese beauties, and develop a decent arrack hangover.
SS Cachalot.
On station, off the coast of Japan, nothing in sight and fuel at 50%
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Rumble in the N. Pacific. Kaleun vs Alex L
Darwin is a pocket - a trap. If he closes on it with superior forces there is no where to run.
At least Perth has three directions you can bug out and a lot of open ocean to hide in. Even if it can only partially refuel Repulse, it should be enough to get her to Columbo or Cochin on SW India. Send tankers from Abadan to Perth to repay the debt.
At least Perth has three directions you can bug out and a lot of open ocean to hide in. Even if it can only partially refuel Repulse, it should be enough to get her to Columbo or Cochin on SW India. Send tankers from Abadan to Perth to repay the debt.
No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
RE: Rumble in the N. Pacific. Kaleun vs Alex L
But Perth is so far far away...
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Rumble in the N. Pacific. Kaleun vs Alex L
January 1st 1942
BC Repulse, at sea. The message flimsy relayed via short wave radio from ABDA HQ in Batavia made his decision easy. Two enemy task forces were now in the Indian Ocean, one, the surface ships that had been making a nuisance of themselves at Tilatjap he’d known about. Now Palliser knew why they had delayed, pounding the unimportant harbor with their guns.
They had been bait. A task force just the right size to tempt him to engage. He had been tempted but, he knew full well that a battle cruiser was no match for a battleship. HMS Hood had shown that quite clearly in the Denmark Straits, earlier in the war. He did not rise to the bait and now, inpatient, the enemy showed their hand. Baby Kido Butai had just irrupted into the Indian Ocean with all the subtlety of a herd of buffalo.
To the North West of his task force.
There was no alternative. He could not flee west; the torpedo bombers of the enemy light carriers would nail him before he could get even close to the enemy. He’d learned to respect the Japanese air borne torpedoes. South west towards Perth was out too. Not only was his fuel status marginal precluding a high speed run, even if his engines could take it, he ran the risk of being trapped between the two Japanese task forces and the Australian coast.
He gave the only orders he could give.
The task force steered ESE at full speed. Hermes would wait for him at Darwin.
Perth.
The 27th Australian Brigade debarks in the harbor. It has been a long run from Singapore, and now, the decimated brigade finally arrives at a safe harbor. Those in the know, or who pretend to be in the know, speak of rest and recuperation, of waiting for replacements, to take the place of those who died at sea.
The men look around them. Why couldn’t it have been in Melbourne?
Port Moresby
Operation Cold Comfort. All the float planes at Port Moresby have been tasked with the doubtful mission of evacuating, or trying to evacuate the survivors from Rabaul.
Pearl Harbor.
Pennsylvania and Maryland are towed out of the shipyard. There are other ships that need to be repaired. Ships that will rejoin the war in time to make a difference.
SSI-23 attacks the tanker task force led by DD McCall. The torpedoes miss and the tankers steam on their way.
Three submarines, including SS RO-62, attacked in vain by the ASW task force assigned to Midway prowl the ocean to the east of the island.
“Damn submarines,” Nimitz curses.
At San Diego, CV Yorktown sits, moored. The Pacific seems to crawl with enemy subs. The harbor is empty of escorts for the carrier. She must wait.
Johore Bahru falls to the Japanese; so does Tulagi.
North of Pegu, enemy forces cut the railroad line. There will be no easy way to withdraw from Rangoon.
SS Cachalot
The fuel tanks are half empty, or half full. The sea is empty.
SS Tambor
Fuel level is 82%. The submarine approaches the eastern entrance to the inland sea. The seas are empty of shipping.
Pollack and Thresher report in. They will arrive at their patrol locations tomorrow.
BC Repulse, at sea. The message flimsy relayed via short wave radio from ABDA HQ in Batavia made his decision easy. Two enemy task forces were now in the Indian Ocean, one, the surface ships that had been making a nuisance of themselves at Tilatjap he’d known about. Now Palliser knew why they had delayed, pounding the unimportant harbor with their guns.
They had been bait. A task force just the right size to tempt him to engage. He had been tempted but, he knew full well that a battle cruiser was no match for a battleship. HMS Hood had shown that quite clearly in the Denmark Straits, earlier in the war. He did not rise to the bait and now, inpatient, the enemy showed their hand. Baby Kido Butai had just irrupted into the Indian Ocean with all the subtlety of a herd of buffalo.
To the North West of his task force.
There was no alternative. He could not flee west; the torpedo bombers of the enemy light carriers would nail him before he could get even close to the enemy. He’d learned to respect the Japanese air borne torpedoes. South west towards Perth was out too. Not only was his fuel status marginal precluding a high speed run, even if his engines could take it, he ran the risk of being trapped between the two Japanese task forces and the Australian coast.
He gave the only orders he could give.
The task force steered ESE at full speed. Hermes would wait for him at Darwin.
Perth.
The 27th Australian Brigade debarks in the harbor. It has been a long run from Singapore, and now, the decimated brigade finally arrives at a safe harbor. Those in the know, or who pretend to be in the know, speak of rest and recuperation, of waiting for replacements, to take the place of those who died at sea.
The men look around them. Why couldn’t it have been in Melbourne?
Port Moresby
Operation Cold Comfort. All the float planes at Port Moresby have been tasked with the doubtful mission of evacuating, or trying to evacuate the survivors from Rabaul.
Pearl Harbor.
Pennsylvania and Maryland are towed out of the shipyard. There are other ships that need to be repaired. Ships that will rejoin the war in time to make a difference.
SSI-23 attacks the tanker task force led by DD McCall. The torpedoes miss and the tankers steam on their way.
Three submarines, including SS RO-62, attacked in vain by the ASW task force assigned to Midway prowl the ocean to the east of the island.
“Damn submarines,” Nimitz curses.
At San Diego, CV Yorktown sits, moored. The Pacific seems to crawl with enemy subs. The harbor is empty of escorts for the carrier. She must wait.
Johore Bahru falls to the Japanese; so does Tulagi.
North of Pegu, enemy forces cut the railroad line. There will be no easy way to withdraw from Rangoon.
SS Cachalot
The fuel tanks are half empty, or half full. The sea is empty.
SS Tambor
Fuel level is 82%. The submarine approaches the eastern entrance to the inland sea. The seas are empty of shipping.
Pollack and Thresher report in. They will arrive at their patrol locations tomorrow.
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Rumble in the N. Pacific. Kaleun vs Alex L
January 2nd
One of the enemy task forces turns East and heads towards Darwin. It is presumed to be Baby Kido Butai, now 240 nautical miles north of Derby and only 440 WNW of Darwin. All the ships in the congested harbor raise steam and flee east. So does Palliser with Repulse and Hermes.
There are now, no Royal Navy forces to speak of in the Indian Ocean. The whole Ocean is now, for all practical purposes, a Japanese lake.
The second task force heads south, towards Perth. Perth harbor is evacuated and all ships that can do so scramble to get around Australia and out of harm’s way.
Operation Cold Comfort has managed to evacuate the Rabaul base force, the BCoy rifle detachment and is now evacuating Lark force.
HMS Trusty, a T war emergency class sub, left Aden yesterday for Tricomalee. Lcdr SLB Mayberry commanding.
One of the enemy task forces turns East and heads towards Darwin. It is presumed to be Baby Kido Butai, now 240 nautical miles north of Derby and only 440 WNW of Darwin. All the ships in the congested harbor raise steam and flee east. So does Palliser with Repulse and Hermes.
There are now, no Royal Navy forces to speak of in the Indian Ocean. The whole Ocean is now, for all practical purposes, a Japanese lake.
The second task force heads south, towards Perth. Perth harbor is evacuated and all ships that can do so scramble to get around Australia and out of harm’s way.
Operation Cold Comfort has managed to evacuate the Rabaul base force, the BCoy rifle detachment and is now evacuating Lark force.
HMS Trusty, a T war emergency class sub, left Aden yesterday for Tricomalee. Lcdr SLB Mayberry commanding.
- Attachments
-
- Approachingdanger.jpg (365.94 KiB) Viewed 601 times
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu