At dawn we slept...in the cab on the way back from Olongapo

[Cap Mandrake]

Well, it was my dad's. I just used it sometimes.

[Cap Mandrake]

Oh, wait, I meant the lawn mower. Wow, that was awkward.

[rtrapasso]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Oh, wait, I meant the lawn mower. Wow, that was awkward.

Eh, we all thought you were referring to the sun bonnet.

[Cap Mandrake]

[:D] Yeah. I had one of those two.

[Cap Mandrake]

******************March 26, 1942(e)**************

A generally bad day for the home team.

As an illustration...here is a highlight:

TF 103 encounters mine field at Port Blair (46,58)

Japanese Ships
DMS W-10
DD Fumizuki, Mine hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

[Cap Mandrake]

N&IC: We don't have enough healthy DD's at Noumea...so this happens.

Sub attack near Noumea at 114,160

Japanese Ships
SS RO-64, hits 3, heavy damage

Allied Ships
BB Arizona, Torpedo hits 2
DD Crane
]

to the shop with ya'!

[Cap Mandrake]

Ozlandia: Sweet Babby Jesus! How did they get to Hobart so fast? This must be another group coming up the East coast of Tasmania. [X(]

Night Time Surface Combat, near Hobart at 81,179, Range 10,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Myoko
CA Haguro
DD Shigure
DD Nenohi
DD Ikazuchi
DD Mutsuki

Allied Ships
DMS Zane, Shell hits 1

[Cap Mandrake]

***********************Suva Lawn Bowling Club******************

FAM: Madre de Dios! Jap crusiers at Hobart by O'dark 30? Good thing the tranpsorts have been ordered to retreat. Whew! Say...did you tell what's his name to hit the "stop unloading" button? Please say you did.....

[Cap Mandrake]

[:-] I blame the staff.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Hobart at 81,179, Range 10,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Myoko
CA Haguro
DD Shigure
DD Nenohi
DD Ikazuchi
DD Mutsuki

Allied Ships
AM Bobolink, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
xAP Katoomba, Shell hits 13, and is sunk
xAK Henry S Grove, Shell hits 12, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
xAK Royal T. Frank, Shell hits 18, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

Allied ground losses:
3093 casualties reported
Squads: 57 destroyed, 27 disabled
Non Combat: 135 destroyed, 104 disabled
Engineers: 9 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 98 (75 destroyed, 23 disabled)
Vehicles lost 67 (44 destroyed, 23 disabled)

[Cap Mandrake]

The actual damage: About 1,100 troops got ashore including the CO...about 1,400 (including most of the heavy weapons and transport) are swimming with the fishes...and another 850 or so got away on a damaged AK that had been detached.

This is one of those things you don't want getting back to Washington.

[witpqs]

This is one of those things you don't want getting back to Wshington.

Don't worry, he's dead.

[Lecivius]

"Lucy, you have some 'splainin to do!!"

[Cap Mandrake]

This is pretty damned effective. Litchfield was ported.

Night Naval bombardment of Hobart at 81,179 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
Kittyhawk IA: 2 damaged

34 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Japanese Ships
CA Haguro
CA Myoko
DD Mutsuki
DD Ikazuchi
DD Nenohi
DD Shigure

Allied Ships
DD Litchfield, Shell hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

Allied ground losses:
136 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 9 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 3 (1 destroyed, 2 disabled)

Airbase hits 6
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 24
Port hits 5
Port fuel hits 1
Port supply hits 1

[Cap Mandrake]

Big collection of battlewagons probably headed SW to blow something up. they get in among some AK's trying to unload supplies at Port Kembla. At least we used some of their ammo.

Day Time Surface Combat, near Port Kembla at 92,175, Range 23,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Fuso
BB Yamashiro
BB Ise
BB Hyuga
CA Takao
DD Yukikaze
DD Urakaze
DD Minegumo
DD Ariake
DD Shikinami

Allied Ships
xAK Iron Baron, Shell hits 13, and is sunk

[Cap Mandrake]

We finally get some of the SBD's to take off and they attack ships bringing dried fish heads.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Launceston at 82,176

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A5M4 Claude x 14
A6M2 Zero x 24

Allied aircraft
Buffalo I x 8
Hurricane IIb Trop x 4
Kittyhawk IA x 12
SBD-2 Dauntless x 6
SBD-3 Dauntless x 11

Japanese aircraft losses
A5M4 Claude: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Buffalo I: 3 destroyed
Kittyhawk IA: 2 destroyed
SBD-2 Dauntless: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged
SBD-3 Dauntless: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
xAK Tonan Maru
xAK Yamahuku Maru
xAK Kikukawa Maru
xAK Panama Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire

[Cap Mandrake]

A lot of damaged B-17's with not much to show for it.

Morning Air attack on Geelong , at 81,170

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 38 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 35
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 23

Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 4
B-17D Fortress x 2
B-17E Fortress x 23

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 damaged
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed on ground

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIb Trop: 1 destroyed
B-17D Fortress: 2 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 13 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
7 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Airbase hits 1
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 19

[Cap Mandrake]

This is perhaps to sort of seal off the Bass Strait or keep us from using this base?

Amphibious Assault at Flinders Island (83,175)

TF 64 troops unloading over beach at Flinders Island, 83,175

Japanese ground losses:
20 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

17 troops of a SNLF Inf Squad 41 lost overboard during unload of 65th Nav Gd /2
15 Support troops lost overboard during unload of 65th Nav Gd /2

Let's hope the Great Whites are about.

[Cap Mandrake]

Somebody chained to poor bastards at Wagga Wagga to their positions. It's like the Syrian Army on Mount Hebron
looks like they could use a few crappy PIATS too.

Ground combat at Wagga Wagga (85,167)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 354 troops, 0 guns, 69 vehicles, Assault Value = 35

Defending force 1324 troops, 13 guns, 6 vehicles, Assault Value = 26

Japanese adjusted assault: 12

Allied adjusted defense: 7

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 0

Combat modifiers
Defender: preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker: leaders(-)

Allied ground losses:
105 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 16 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Assaulting units:
8th Tank Regiment

Defending units:
18th LH MG Regiment
Wagga OTU Base Force

[Cap Mandrake]

This is probably the seige force for Sydney. Uggh.

Ground combat at Armidale (92,163)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 29527 troops, 371 guns, 170 vehicles, Assault Value = 852

Defending force 0 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 0

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 0

Japanese adjusted assault: 1582

Allied adjusted defense: 1

Japanese assault odds: 1582 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Armidale !!!

Combat modifiers
Attacker: shock(+)

Assaulting units:
38th Division
2nd Division
1st Hvy.Artillery Regiment
1st Medium Field Artillery Regiment
3rd Mortar Battalion
5th Mortar Battalion
17th Medium Field Artillery Regiment

[Cap Mandrake]

Those elements of 19th RCT that did get ashore really boosted the defenses of Hobart.

Ground combat at Hobart (81,179)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 4310 troops, 32 guns, 16 vehicles, Assault Value = 132

Defending force 6664 troops, 65 guns, 38 vehicles, Assault Value = 206

Japanese ground losses:
18 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
146th Infantry Regiment

Defending units:
12th Australian Brigade
19th Infantry Regiment
Hobart Fortress
15th RAAF Base Sqdn
Hobart RAAF Base Force