From here to...well...it SEEMS like an eternity

[Cap Mandrake]

..

[HMS Resolution]

Well? How's it going?

[BrucePowers]

I don't think he wants to tell us.[:D]

Either that or he and Tabpub are arguing over who to blame[:D]

[tabpub]

Blame? No blame, just a bit slow on turns right now; this time from our oppos.

Nandi fell yesterday; expect Suva to come in soon, once I start some attacking. Right now, two divisions are having a beach party, stuffing their faces with supplies....

I am sure that the Captain will be along soon with a splendid tale or two sometime soon.

Cheers.

[Cap Mandrake]

Yes..I must have worked 26 of the last 28 days. My daughters are competing to see who can spend more money.

Last night I discovered a quite remarkable effect when the "licorice center" in the female human brain is stimulated. Test subject was Stalker Girl. More to come. Still at work.

[Onime No Kyo]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Yes..I must have worked 26 of the last 28 days. My daughters are competing to see who can spend more money.

Last night I discovered a quite remarkable effect when the "licorice center" in the female human brain is stimulated. Test subject was Stalker Girl. More to come. Still at work.

The more you tell us about the lady the more I become convinced that she responds in the same way to virtually any stimulus......you lucky dog. [:D]

[BrucePowers]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Yes..I must have worked 26 of the last 28 days. My daughters are competing to see who can spend more money.

Last night I discovered a quite remarkable effect when the "licorice center" in the female human brain is stimulated. Test subject was Stalker Girl. More to come. Still at work.

You work weekends[X(][:D]. I'm kidding...[:D]

[Cap Mandrake]

When the Japs spot what is headed their way on the 9th, they evacuate Nandi and Suva airfields (largely), instead concentrating resources at Tonga and Pago Pago which are 500 and 800+ miles distant. A few Lilys apparently stay behind at Nandi to make the Emperor happy. I'm sure he was very proud.

The guy in charge of naval mines for Fiji is going places (if he doesn't get killed). 5 Allied transports are mined on day #1.

From the log of Vice Adm. W W Smith, Commander Allied Naval Forces, Operation, Akron, aboard HMS Prince of Wales....


December 10, 1942...

03:20 Bombardment Group (USS Nevada) ordered to remain on station due to apparent evacuation of enemy airfield, Suva.

05:20 Fast MSW group operating operating Control Zone Empire (Suva approaches) without opposition.

06:27 Landings 1st & 2nd Marine Raider and 112th Cav commencing near Nandi. USS Pope and USS Calhoun engaging single enemy shore battery.

07:44 USS Southard commencing minesweeping Beqa Passage, reporting no shore fire.

08:05 USS Le Maire reports mine damage with moderate flooding, 1000 yds E Beqa Passage. Cpt. intends debarkation as planned.

08:28 Cdr Dean, USS President Adams, reports first boats away Rovodrau Bay landing beaches. Light enemy indirect fire encountered.

09:05 USS Tracy reports inbound hostiles from ENE at 30 miles. These are intercepted by CAP of Yorktown and Saratoga with destruction of 8 bombers. No friendly losses.

09:27 This vessel and HMAS Australia under attack by 10 Lily bombers. Manuvering.

09:30 All clear. No damage reported.

09:50 VT-5, VT-8 and VT-3 attacking Suva airfield. One bomber lost. Airfield heavily damaged.

10:22 6-10 enemy bombers reported approaching carriers without escorts. 3 claimed destroyed with no freindly losses.

11:28 Following vessels reporting mine damage in Suva area of operation. HMS Empire Tarpon and Empire Dawn, USS Kansan and West Shipper. USS Evertson and USS Gregory engaging 3 x medium caliber shore battery on Beqa Island. Both vessels damaged.


......

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Onime No Kyo

The more you tell us about the lady the more I become convinced that she responds in the same way to virtually any stimulus......you lucky dog. [:D]

Yes. I was thinking the same thing. Amaretto...the "almond center", Uzo...the "licorice center", Gin and tonic....the "citrus center", Ferrari Carrano Cabernet...the "grape center".

I feel if I could just find the common thread, I would make a major advance in human physiology (and would be very popular too)

[witpqs]

It might not be the consumable aspect. I once dated a flautist. [:)]

[BrucePowers]

Well, I don't know what to say. I know this suprises you[:D]

[Cap Mandrake]

On day 2, the Japs surge in aircraft to Suva and Nandi. Admiral Tabpub has anticipated this and USS Nevada (which has conserved her ammo) makes a mess of Suva airfield during the night but it is not quite enough. Elite Zeroes are over the battlefield in the AM. Given the number of attacks, the loss to Allied shipping is minimal. POW takes two torpedoes but can still fight. Star-crossed AP Le Maire htis a second mine as does one of the Empire X's.

As the location of the KB is not known, the SBD's aboard the carriers are armed with AP bombs when the sun comes up, but do stage an effective raid in the afternoon on the Suva airfield after switching the HE. The carriers are standing off to the South 30-50 miles. As a consequence the CAP is very sketchy over the landing foces.

From the log of Vice Adm. W W Smith, Commander Allied Naval Forces, Operation, Akron, aboard HMS Prince of Wales....


December 11, 1942...

02:40 USS Nevada reports bombardment of Suva airfield complete after expenditure 120 rounds of HE ammunition. Many secondary explosions seen. Remaining on station.

06:20 Inventory of vessels struck by mines during night:

AK Samuel Adams
AK James Schureman
AK Steel Inventor
AK Empire Voice
AK Betelgeuse
AP Le Maire
AP Hunter Liggett

USS Phelps (DD) suffered mild damage from shore battery fire.

10:20 Inventory of vessels struck by mines in last 4 hrs.

AK Empire Tarpon
AK Betelgeuse
AK Empire Dawn
AK Aroostook
AK Juan Cabrillo


11:40 Americal Division now 100% ashore have secured 1st day objectives. Opposition moderate and growing. Enemy forces in approximate brigade strength.

11:50 Effective enmey CAP over Suva battlefield. Beleived operating from Fiji airfields. 15 friendly aircraft lost in Tac Air support role to desytruction of 3 enemy A6M3.

12:10 Fast Minesweeper Group under torpedo attack by 1 dozen Betty bombers. USS Lamberton sruck by two torpedoes and flooding fast. USS Hovey struck by one torpedo. She is reported dead in the water and burning.

12:16 TF 1116 reports attack by enemy Sally bombers operating from Nandi airfield. No losses.

12:48 Transports under attack by unescorted Betty bombers near Beq Island. HMS Empire Lapwing sinking after two torpedo hits.

12:55 USS Manunda (AP) buring near Beqa Island after single bomb hit from Sally bombers. 6 enemy aircraft seen.

13:02 Minesweeper group (Nandi) under attack by 8 Sally bombers. No losses.

13:13 TF 1116 (Nandi Amphibious Group) under attack by 4 Betty bombers. One enemy aircraft destroyed. No losses

13;15 MSW Dubbo struck by aerial torpedo off Beqa Is., burning.

13:48 Large raid of 20-30 bombers from NNE on this force. POW hit by two torpedo amidships. Some fires reported below but flooding minimal. We are making good headway. USS Crescent City also hit. Two enemy bombers destroyed. Request for modification of CAP patrol zone made.

14;02 Suva bombardemnt group under attack by large number level bombers. 3 non-penetraing hits reported.

15:34 4 squadrons of SBD's with F4F escort attack Suva airfield, losing ten aircraft but several dozen enemy aircraft believed destroyed in the air and on the ground. Betty bombers confirmed operating from Suva.

[Cap Mandrake]

USS Drum stumbles on something.

[Cap Mandrake]

**********06:20, December 13, 1942, CENTPAC HQ**********


Admiral Nimitz reviews a report from Drum. An aide waits for his response.

Adm Nimitz: Hmmm. 24 kts? Headed South in a hurry aren't they? <the aide is accustomed to the Admiral's rhetorical style and makes no response> Better get this to King at SOUTHPAC. This might be the carriers headed his way........

[BrucePowers]

Things are heating up in the South Pacific[X(]

[Cap Mandrake]

Indeed the South Pacific is heating up.

*********SOUTHPAC HQ, Wellington, NZ, 15:20, December 12, 1942*********

Adm. King: Nandi?

Aide: 1st and 2nd Marine Raider Bns. are already ashore sir. Artillery and recon vehicles on 112th Cav are arriving as we speak.

Adm. King: Excellent. When do you think they can push for the airfield? I would like to get the Marine SBD's and F4's ashore as soon as possible. Adm. Nimitz believes the Jap carriers may be at Saipan. That puts them 6-7 days away from Fiji, even without refueling.

Aide: As early as tomorrow sir. HMAS Australia is conducting preparatory bombardment today.

Adm. King: Splendid!

Aide: Yes, splendid sir.

Adm. King: And Suva?

Aide: 43Rd ID, Americal Div. and I Corps HQ all ashore sir. Engineering units and remainder of the Tank Bn to come. Prince of Wales bombarded Suva defences agains today.

Adm. King: Splendid! And the naval losses?

Aide: Three more AK's hit by mines today sir. USS Lemberton sunk from previous damage. There were small scale attacks on HMAS Australia and POW, both repulsed.

Adm. King: Say, we didn't tell anyone about Prince of Wales being damaged, did we? It seems there is a small matter about having permission from the Admiralty..........

[Cap Mandrake]

On the 13th of December, the weather over Fiji is bad. Japanese flights form Tonga and Pago Pago are grounded. Nandi and Suva airfields are now devoid of operable enemy aircraft. The greatest threat to Allied shipping remains what must be thousands of mines near Suva. 6 more AK's and AP's are mined.

An attack by the Nandi force drives the Japs away from the airfield which is a level 3 and 76% of the way to completion of a runway extension! That is some serious good news for the Allies. Heavies are ordered to Aukland from Cooktown to be ready when the airfield at Nandi is ready. Crated Marine SBD's and F4F's are ordered ashore as are the SeeBees.

[BrucePowers]

Subterfuge to keep a ship Churchill wanted back. Splendid[:)]

[Cap Mandrake]

*********Captured Japanese Ammunition Depot, Nandi, Fiji, 07:15, December 14, 1942*********

Lt. jg, Manuel Mota, USN, takes in a small gasp of air when the light from the open door catches the row upon row of massive artillery shells sitting neatly upright in open wooden crates. He quietly says a Santa Maria when he considers what might have happened had these shells been used on the landing forces near Nandi.

By his estimate, there were no Japanese guns larger than 6 inches in use during the landing. These were more than twice that caliber. He approached the nearest pallet and shone his flashlight on one of the rounds. He drew in another breath. The letters were clearly in English. It read "356mm/45/HE" and underneath "Property of USN". At at angle over the lower inscription was stamped the message, "M&M Enterprises,importers of fine naval ammunition since 1941".

He called out to his crew, "better get Cmdr. Alston in here pronto..he is not going to believe this!"

[Cap Mandrake]

Anonymous Editor's Note:

The board was concerned that readers understand that it is stylistically poor to change verb tense in the middle of a short narrative. We drew straws and I pulled the short...<POOF>