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

[sprior]

Good Morning old chap,

Hope things are okay over there at Camp Rogers and Hammerstein. I was having a little think (jolly dangerous after a few snifters I admit) and came up with a rather jolly wheeze. Why don't we, that is you, rather than worry about Oz start to garrison the Solomons. I do believe this would make JJ's nether regions pucker as we would be across their lines of communication.

Pip pip and don't let your wossnames dangle in the dust

[Cap Mandrake]

I say! That is an astonishingly good idea you have there..for an aristocrat I mean. Perhaps the whole "when cousins marry" thing is overdone.

2 divisions trapped on New & Improved Caledonia, at least 4 divisions attacking toward Melbourne...it does seem they must be running low on Little Yellow Bastards. Green Island is still green. [:)]

We could sneak some engineers ashore. That would get their attention when it went level 1. I will start the three USMC regiments planning for the Solomons and turn around 2nd USMC Para Bn. I wonder what they have at Rabaul? Perhaps the USN BB's could come in from the East and bombard?

[desicat]

Solomons? That seems a wise choice.

[witpqs]

I say, split the difference!

[sprior]

Puns - the lowest form of wit. Apart from sarcasm.

[sprior]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I say! That is an astonishingly good idea you have there..for an aristocrat I mean. Perhaps the whole "when cousins marry" thing is overdone.

I rather fancied 3 of my cousins. Shame one of them was a bloke.

[desicat]

ORIGINAL: sprior

Puns - the lowest form of wit. Apart from sarcasm.

How about sarcastic puns?

[Cap Mandrake]

*************March 29, 1942(e)***************

More attacking and fighting and such. Many squaws cry in teepee tonight.

Oz: LYB's trying to sneak up on Perth. Bad news for HMS Victoria...good news for everyone at Perth (due to the warning)...including a famous luxury liner.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Carnarvon at 49,133, Range 11,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Mogami
CA Mikuma
DD Usugumo
DD Hatsuyuki
DD Murakumo
DD Asagiri

Allied Ships
AM Deloraine, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
AO Victoria, Shell hits 7, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

[Cap Mandrake]

Oops. Didn't see these lads coming. You can pretty much guess what comes next.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Melbourne at 82,170, Range 11,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Ise
BB Hyuga
DD Ariake
DD Shikinami

Allied Ships
ACM Karangi, Shell hits 6, and is sunk

[Cap Mandrake]

Night Air attack on Geelong , at 81,170

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 10 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft
LB-30 Liberator x 3

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Runway hits 1

there..that should shut down Geelong.

[Cap Mandrake]

Attention Melbourne shore batteries...you should probably wake up.

Night Naval bombardment of Melbourne at 82,170 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 1 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 46 damaged
Hurricane IIb Trop: 7 damaged

1 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Japanese Ships
BB Hyuga
BB Ise
DD Shikinami
DD Ariake

Allied ground losses:
357 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 12 destroyed, 15 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 8 (3 destroyed, 5 disabled)
Vehicles lost 7 (1 destroyed, 6 disabled)

Airbase hits 6
Runway hits 28
Port fuel hits 1

[Cap Mandrake]

The dive bombers and the mediums and search aircraft were moved out of Melbourne today in anticipation of further attacks but we are going to need about 20 linear miles of duct tape for the B-17's.

[Cap Mandrake]

At least the CAP gets up in the air over Melbourne.

Morning Air attack on Melbourne , at 82,170

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid spotted at 34 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 5
G3M2 Nell x 20

Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 9
Kittyhawk IA x 3
P-40E Warhawk x 4

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed
G3M2 Nell: 6 destroyed, 2 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIb Trop: 1 destroyed

Airbase hits 2
Runway hits 5

[witpqs]

Do youeven have 46 B-17s?

[Cap Mandrake]

JJ has been parading up and down the East coast of Queensland quite annoyingly. Well...the runway is fixed at Sydney.


Morning Air attack on TF, near Sydney at 92,168

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A5M4 Claude x 7

Allied aircraft
Seagull V x 5
SBD-2 Dauntless x 3
SBD-3 Dauntless x 26
SOC-1 Seagull x 1

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Seagull V: 1 damaged
SBD-2 Dauntless: 1 damaged
SBD-3 Dauntless: 8 damaged

Japanese Ships
CVE Hosho, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Ayatosan Maru, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Hakozaki Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire
xAP Hikawa Maru
AMC Kinryu Maru, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires
xAP Terukuni Maru, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage

Japanese ground losses:
356 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 7 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 17 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled)

Aircraft Attacking:
4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
3 x SBD-2 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
1 x SOC-1 Seagull bombing from 10000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 lb SAP Bomb
3 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
5 x Seagull V bombing from 10000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 lb SAP Bomb
6 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
13 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb

CAP engaged:
Hosho-1 with A5M4 Claude (2 airborne, 5 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 14070 , scrambling fighters to 14000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 9 minutes

Fuel storage explosion on CVE Hosho
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CVE Hosho
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAP Terukuni Maru
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring AMC Kinryu Maru
Massive explosion on AMC Kinryu Maru

Looks like Hosho and Kinryu Maru swimming with the fishes. Nice.

[Cap Mandrake]

RAAF with crappy Hudsons manages to cause 163 LYB's to leap into the water.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Sydney at 92,168

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 15 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A5M4 Claude x 2

Allied aircraft
Hudson III (LR) x 9

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
xAP Huzi Maru
xAP Terukuni Maru, heavy fires, heavy damage

Japanese ground losses:
163 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 4 (1 destroyed, 3 disabled)

[Cap Mandrake]

Well, I guess Kinryu Maru hasn't sunk...yet.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Sydney at 92,168

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 6 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 1 minutes

Allied aircraft
Hudson III (LR) x 9

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
AMC Kinryu Maru, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Ayatosan Maru, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Husimi Maru

Japanese ground losses:
192 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Aircraft Attacking:
9 x Hudson III (LR) bombing from 10000 feet
Naval Attack: 4 x 250 lb SAP Bomb

Heavy smoke from fires obscuring AMC Kinryu Maru
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAK Ayatosan Maru

[Cap Mandrake]

An AK unloading at Sydney.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Sydney at 90,167

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A5M4 Claude x 7
B5N1 Kate x 3

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
xAK Evi Livanos, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires

An AKL trying to unload at Hobart is waxed as well.

[Cap Mandrake]

Nicely coordinated Frankenraid (except for the fighters)off of Sydney.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Sydney at 92,168

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Allied aircraft
Hudson III (LR) x 9
Seagull V x 4
SBD-2 Dauntless x 2
SBD-3 Dauntless x 20
SOC-1 Seagull x 1

Allied aircraft losses
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
xAP Hikawa Maru, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Terukuni Maru, heavy fires, heavy damage
AK Tosan Maru, Bomb hits 1
xAP Husimi Maru, Bomb hits 2, on fire
xAP Huzi Maru, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Hakozaki Maru

Japanese ground losses:
565 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 7 destroyed, 27 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Guns lost 5 (1 destroyed, 4 disabled)

[Cap Mandrake]

More scary Hudson III's

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Sydney at 92,168

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 16 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Allied aircraft
Hudson III (LR) x 8

Allied aircraft losses
Hudson III (LR): 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
xAP Husimi Maru, heavy fires
xAP Hakozaki Maru, on fire

Japanese ground losses:
144 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 10 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled