Thayne News Campaign Reports

[Thayne]

May 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.


JAP SUBS HIT TRANSPORT

Mission to Deliver Bombs to Thursday Island Postponed

(TN - Brisbane) A fast transport task force leaving Cairns yesterday encountered a Japanese submarine just off shore that put a quick end to the mission. TF1189, consisting of four fast transport destroyers, was attempting to deliver bombs and airplane fuel to Thursday Island. However, two torpedoes from a Japanese submarine hit the fast transport Gregory just under 200 miles from the port. The explosions set off several drums of airplane fuel. The fire then quickly spread to the ammunition stores, setting up several secondary explosions. The crew was told to abandon ship, which still sits burning out at the Great Barrier Reef.

The rest of the ships picked up survivors from Gregory and brought them back to Cairns. The three remaining ships hope to try again after sundown.

Other Port Moresby Supply Missions Continue

Cargo task forces continue to converge on Townsend, Australia, where they will launch a mission to try to deliver additional supplies and troops to Port Moresby.

The presence of a blockade force at Port Moresby caused TF1167 to detour temporarily to Thursday Island. The port is the closest Allied base to Port Moresby and the safest place to wait for an opportunity to push on to Port Moresby. As soon as there is any sign of a break in the screening force, the destroyers will be able to make their run.

TF1004, consisting of two American aircraft carriers, stayed at Rockhampton while the troop transport convoy accommodated a half dozen supply ships. From Rockhampton, the task force is due to move north to Townsville. At Townsville, TF1004 may be joined by TF1236, a convoy crossing the Pacific with over 35,000 tons of supply and an escort carrier to protect the convoy from submarines. From Townsville, the combined force will go to Cairns, and then from there to Port Moresby. The task force will be one of the largest Allied operations of the war.

The Port Moresby defenders continue to do well against their Japanese assailants. In the most recent artillery barrage, allied gunners scored may direct hits on enemy troops, inflicting dozens of casualties on the enemy and destroying at least one battery of guns. The Japanese did not inflict any casualties on the defenders over the last 24 hours.

The mood at Southwest Pacific Command regarding the potential to hold Port Moresby continues to change with each passing moment. Each success suggests to the Allies that they may hold the city, while every failure suggests that Japan may succeed in its bid to take the city. A great deal hinges on the success of the planned resupply mission.


SS-43 Strikes Transport

(TN - Brisbane) Another Japanese transport has either been sunk or very seriously damaged by SS-43 in the deep waters between Truk and New Guinea yesterday. The submarine, short of supplies, has been ordered south to Brisbane to refit and resupply. On the trip, it spotted a convoy of at least two transports and an escort squadron. Two of its torpedoes struck the Japanese merchant ship. SS-43 then easily hid from the Japanese counter-attack.

Allied military intelligence could not confirm that the ship had actually been sunk. It may have been badly damaged but still afloat, though Allied military experts are doubtful that the ship can reach any port before sinking.


Hornet Catches 4th Transport

(TN - Hawaii) The American aircraft carrier Hornet caught yet another Japanese transport in the waters off of Marcus Island yesterday. The transport was less then 100 miles from the carrier fleet at dawn when reconnaissance aircraft noticed the ship. Hornet immediately sent off its dive bombers and torpedo bombers that had been armed and prepared the night before. In the attack that followed, two torpedoes and two 1000 pound bombs scored hits against the ship. By the afternoon, attempts to find the ship and to deliver a second blow proved unsuccessful.

Again, while Hornet patrolled the waters, Enterprise and Yorktown attacked Marcus Island itself. The bombing run, the second in as many days against the island, scored hits on an ammunition cache on the airport. Secondary explosions also suggest that the allies hit two large fuel storage tanks near the port, as well as a second weapons cache.

The greatest damage scored against the island were against its port and airbase facilities. Bomb assessment photographs taken from the island show that the runway has been nearly made unusable, and that several port facilities have been severely damaged.

The American carrier force has hovered around Marcus Island for three days now, giving the Japanese a taste of what Japan delivered to the Santa Cruz islands, though the Americans have not even seen a combat ship in the waters around the island.

[Thayne]

May 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.


NAVAL BATTLE: PORT MORESBY

(TN - Brisbane) Task Force 1167, a Destroyer task force carrying supplies and troops for Port Moresby, tried to fight its way into Port Moresby yesterday, and failed.

At dusk, TF1167, commanded by Commander Tiemroth, sat just off shore at Thursday Island. The ships were still loaded with men and supplies bound for Port Moresby. Tiemroth was given the authority to decide for himself if he wanted to take the risk of running the Japanese blockade.

According to sources on the destroyer Balch, Tiemroth's flag ship, the Commander paced the ship nervously throughout the morning. He had several conversations with other captains asking what he might expect from attempting to run the blockade. Some of the captains were participants in an earlier lop-sided loss to the Japanese in which two allied destroyers were sunk and five heavily damaged, against one Japanese destroyer sunk and two lightly damaged. Others, however, suggested that the Japanese would be too interested in defending their landing beaches. The destroyers would be able to rush in, unload their cargo, and disappear before dawn.

Ultimately, however, Tiemroth was impressed by the fact that nobody knew what would happen. He began to think that the mission would be worth it, just to find out, so that the information can be used in making future plans. He gave the order to organize the fleet. At dusk, they moved on Port Moresby.

Tiemroth ordered three destroyers, including Dunlap, to run ahead of the task force to avoid losing the whole task force to a Japanese ambush. As the task force approached Port Moresby, Dunlap took a shot. Its gun flash burst across the open ocean. The shells struck a Japanese destroyer. A few minutes later, a Japanese cruiser fired at Dunlap. The first volley cut straight through the destroyer, igniting extra ammunition bound for Port Moresby sitting on the deck. A huge column of flame flew up into the air. The destroyer then became the target of the whole Japanese fleet.

As Japanese cruisers and destroyers opened fire on Dunlap, they telegraphed their position to the rest of the allied fleet, which was still hidden by the darkness. Tiemroth abandoned Dunlap to its fate and tried to circle around the Japanese and head for the port.

One of the destroyers on the flanking maneuver suddenly came upon a Japanese destroyer. Paul Jones fired, and hit the destroyer. Then Paul Jones took a torpedo. The remaining ships in her squadron maneuvered to protect the stricken ship. Thanet, a ship in the squadron, got the Japanese destroyer in range, and struck it repeatedly. Two of its torpedoes also hit the Japanese destroyer.

Japanese ships came to the aid of its stricken destroyer. A shell from one of the cruisers hit Thanet just below the waterline, exploding ammunition stores deep within its hull. Another ship from the same group, Paul Jones took a torpedo that blew the bow off of the ship. Japanese gunners began to focus their weapons on the ship. Paul Jones was still able to move, and pushed forward, to dodge the enemy fire. The maneuver worked, but the maneuvering with the damaged bow probably did more damage than the Japanese would have done.

By this time, the encounter had become an open melee, with ships firing at each other up and down the line. The Allied destroyers were inflicting hits, striking a Japanese cruiser and another destroyer with torpedoes, and shelling several of the Japanese ships. But Japan was scoring damage in return.

With surprise lost, and his decks filled with ammunition and men from the 6th Australian Division, Commander Tiemroth ordered his task force to withdraw.

Back in open water, he regrouped to count his losses. Paul Jones was badly damaged and nearly sinking. It had, at most, a few hours of life left to it. Thanet was struggling to control fires on its deck. The rest of the destroyers, however, had taken only minor damage.

While he regrouped his task force and sent aid to the stricken Paul Jones, Allied Military Intelligence was getting interesting news from Port Moresby itself. Military intelligence reported that the Japanese fleet had left. Having suffered the loss of one destroyer, significant damage to at least two others, and a torpedo hit against one of the heavy cruisers, Japan withdrew the blockade.

Commander Tiemroth remained skeptical, until the crew of the submarine SS-45, near Gili Gili, reported seeing a Japanese task force of several heavy cruisers heading north.

Only fifty miles from Port Moresby, with most of his men and supplies intact, and a destroyer nearly sinking, Tiemroth ordered the task force back to Port Moresby to unload.

Japan won the battle to keep the Allied resupply force out of Port Moresby, but then gave up their prize as soon as they had won it. General Thompson said of Commander Tiemroth, "That man handed the Japanese a pretty little victory, and the Japanese gift wrapped it and handed it back."


Rangoon Raid Triggers Massive Air Battle

(TN - Dacca) General Pownall ordered his heavy bombers to Rangoon for yet another strike against the Japanese air force. The mission triggered a massive Japanese reponse, with over 50 enemy airplanes flying into the sky to meet the allied raid.

Once again, the Allied airplanes proved their durability. More than two dozen Allied airplanes took damage as a result of the Japanese assault. However, only one of them failed to stay in formation long enough to deliver its bombs. Another B-17 with damage to its fuel tanks and engines crashed on its way home. Its pilot and crew bailed out over the jungle between Dacca and Akyab, hoping to catch up with the British forces retreating out of Akyab.

In spite of the damage, over 50 Allied bombers delivered their cargo to the Rangoon airstrip. Bomb assessment photographs indicate that the bombs damaged eight airplanes. In addition, the bomber crews were credited with six kills among the combat CAP, bringing the total to 14 planes destroyed.

The Japanese also suffered damage to the Port Moresby airfield facilities. However, this damage was relatively minor and the Japanese are expected to have it repaired long before the Allies can finish repairing the airplanes that participated in the mission.

After the fight, the public press was allowed onto the airbase at Dacca to look at the damaged planes. The press was shown airplanes with pieces of the tail and wing missing, huge holes in the fuelage, and engines with dark smears on the wings from engine fires. Yet, all but two of the airplanes brought their crews back to India.


Ndimi and Attu Island Airbases Operational

(TN - Washington) Allied military command reported that they had just finished two new airbases on the front against Japan.

Admiral Nimitz opened a new airbase just off of the Solomon Islands chain at Ndimi. The airbase already has the support staff necessary to run several squadrons of airplanes, which were immediately ordered to fly to the base and set up operations. The Ndimi base will be able to attack Japanese held installations in the lower Solomon Islands, targeting, in particular, the port at Tulagi.

At the same time, Rear Admiral Theobold in Anchorage announced that he is moving airplanes forward to an airbase on Attu Island, at the end of the Aleutian Islands. He has ordered that Attu become a bomber base for watching the Japanese activity in the north Atlantic, while Kiska island to the southeast becomes a fighter base for protecting the two islands. The move introduces significant improvements to the plan to build a containment wall around the Japanese empire.


Kimmel Carriers Score 5th Kill

(TN - Hawaii) Moving south from Marcus Island, the Carrier task force that Kimmel sent into the mid Pacific caught another Japanese transport ship and sank it. Torpedo bombers from the task force reported hitting the transport with 5 torpedoes. Again, several pilots reported watching the enemy ship sink before they had a chance to deliver their ordinance. Also, pilots again reported seeing an unusually large number of men on the deck attempting to get into the water before the ship sank, suggesting that the ship was carrying troops. The ship was heading southeast, in the direction of the Marshall Islands, apparently with replacements or reinforcements.

[Thayne]

May 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.


PORT MORESBY REINFORCED

(TN - Brisbane) TF1167 completed its mission yesterday and delivered its reinforcements to Port Moresby. In contrast to the attempt the previous night to deliver the cargo, the task force sailed into the port under no threat of an enemy attack. The destroyers pulled up to the docks at Port Moresby and immediately unloaded the troops and cargo. It took only a few hours to remove the cargo, then the task force started its trip back to Port Moresby.

The task force left one ship, the destroyer John Paul, behind. With its bow shot off by a torpedo, it was considered unlikely that the destroyer would survive the trip across open water. Its crew is going to attempt to make repairs in Port Moresby harbor before attempting the crossing. Allied military strategists have all but crossed off John Paul, believing that it will either sink on its own accord or become the target of a Japanese air raid before its damage will be cleared enough to travel.

The rest of the task force is also suffering damage from the effort to get to Port Moresby and the whole task force is in need of some rest. However, General Thompson is postponing any refit until another operation is completed, to add to the stockpiles of supplies at Thursday Island. TF1167 has been given orders to return to Cairns, load up the necessary supplies, and deliver it to Thursday Island.

Port Moresby Land War Favors Allies

The additional reinforcements at Port Moresby were immediately put to use against the Japanese forces surrounding the city. In the daily artillery exchange between the Japanese and the Allies, the extra guns proved useful in inflicting additional casualties on the Japanese. With the additional troops, the Allies now have 16,500 soldiers in the city, compared to an estimated enemy strength of 11,000.

Military strategists are expecting the Japanese to eventually bring a full division into the battle at extra reinforcements were immediately put to use at Port Moresby, where the exchange of artillery continued. Allied attacks concentrated on troop concentrations below the hills east town, inflicting a significant number of casualties. In exchange, Japanese attacks on the hill inflicted only a few casualties among the allied defenders.

The Allied forces are continuing with their operation to reinforce Port Moresby with a substantial portion of the 6th Australian Division. The ships that will take part in the mission, including transports already carrying the soldiers, are gathering at Port Moresby to make the trip.

Mine Layers Approach Port Moresby

General Thompson has also diverted a mine laying task force that was going to Thursday Island to visit Port Moresby instead. The mine layer has been instructed to lay mines in the small bay to the southeast of Port Moresby where the Japanese made their landing. General Thompson's plan is to interfere with any Japanese attempt to reinforce their positions with another naval landing. However, the arrival of more troops overland remains a possibility.


Carriers Strike 5 More Japanese Ships

(TN - Hawaii) The Central Pacific Carrier Force sank five more ships yesterday.

Admiral Kimmel ordered his carrier fleet into the center of a triangle between Marcus Island, Saipan, and Einwetok. There, they found several enemy task forces. Air strikes launched against the task forces hit three troop transports and two minesweepers. By the end of the day, Allied military intelligence recorded 2 torpedo hits on one transport, 4 torpedo hits on a second, and 9 bomb hits on a third. One enemy minesweeper took one bomb hit, while 5 bombs hit a second minesweeper.

Military intelligence reported none of the five ships as officially sunk. In fact, none of the 8 transports or 2 minesweepers struck in the past five days have been officially counted as sunk, though military advisors expect that the ships will appear on the official tally of sunk ships in the future.

With the Central Pacific Carrier Force running out of ammunition and fuel, Admiral Kimmel ordered them back to Wake Island. Kimmel is still concerned about the possibility of a Japanese assault on Wake Island.


Japan Closing Air War

(TN - Washington) In the first 10 days of the month, Japan has eliminated a significant portion of the gap between Japanese and Allied air casualties. At the start of the month, military intelligence estimated that the Allies had destroyed 150 more Japanese planes than they had lost. However, the gap between the two sides is now estimated to be closer to 120 planes.

Japan has scored its biggest success against the allied defenses at Kai Island, north of Darwin. The daily slaughter of Allied pilots has been so great that General Thompson has considered withdrawing all squadrons to Darwin. However, that would leave the ground forces on Kai Island at the mercy of the Japanese. Thompson's advisors informed him that the number of casualties he can expect on the ground if he pulls the air units will be far larger than the number of casualties he is currently suffering in the air.

[Thayne]

May 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.


TROUBLE AT TRUK

(TN – Hawaii) Central Pacific Command has received ominous intelligence reports from the submarine SS Grayback of the Japanese navy gathering at Truk.

Grayback was on the surface last night recharging its batteries when the submarine encountered a Japanese task force. The submarine submerged to periscope depth and watched as a massive task force of Japanese destroyers came into view. Against a clear, moonlit sky they counted approximately 20 destroyers. As the commander watched, the nearest column of destroyers pealed off and moved straight at the submarine. It went deep. For over two hours, destroyers patrolled above, but the Japanese never dropped a depth charge. Eventually, the destroyers moved off.

Later in the day, Grayback reported two more task forces heading for Truk. In one of them Grayback reported seeing a heavy cruiser. The second task force held five capital ships, along with an escort. Grayback could not get a good shot at the ships in either task force.

After hearing the news, Admiral Kimmel sent out an warning to all units to prepare for the long-anticipated Japanese attack on Wake Island. Kimmel ordered four troop transports to report to Kona, on the southern shore of the big island of Hawaii, to prepare to load the 161st Regimental Combat Team. If required, the troop transports are to deliver the regiment to Wake Island as reinforcements.

Kimmel also sent warnings to the captains of the battleship squadron at Pearl Harbor, consisting of Nevada, Maryland, California, Oklahoma, and Idaho, with Mississippi sitting at Midway Island.

Some advisors with Central Pacific Command have expressed concerns about what they say is Kimmel’s obsession with an attack on Wake Island. These advisors confirm that several pieces of key intelligence suggest that Japan was considering such an attack in the months following the start of the war. However, there has been no recent information about the attack. Some advisors say that the information they received earlier from the Japanese was a decoy meant to draw allied forces into the central Pacific, while the Japanese launch their real attack southward.

“The ships assembling at Truk could be going anywhere, from Wake to Santa Cruz to Port Moresby,” said one advisor. “It would be a mistake to assume that it is Wake Island and lower our guard elsewhere.”


Southwest Pacific Navy Gathers at Cairns

(TN – Townsville) Several Southwest Pacific task forces are gathering at Cairns for the next attempt to strengthen the allied defenses at Port Moresby. The forces include the destroyer squadron that most recently delivered supplies to Port Moresby, a carrier group, and a supply group consisting of three troop transports and a half dozen cargo ships. In two days, the ships will organize into new task forces. Their missions will include delivering over 6,000 members of the 6th Australian Division to Port Moresby, and supplies there and to Thursday Island.



Task Force Shells Akyab

(TN – Dacca) Following up on the success of an earlier bombardment raid on Akyab, General Pownall ordered another raid using more and larger ships. The task force consisted of 8 destroyers, 8 light cruisers, and a heavy cruiser. The attack apparently surprised the Japanese, which had a great many of its supplies stored at the docks. The bombardment sent off a number of secondary explosions that started fires across the entire port district. Other ships in the task force targeted the runway.

The next day, during the daily bombardment mission against Akyab, reconnaissance aircraft took pictures of the damage. Military intelligence says that they were more than pleased with the results, and are now considering the feasibility of additional bombardment missions. For future missions, bombardments will only use ships capable of moving at a minimum speed of 30 knots, ruling out the use of the battleships. The experiments of this week have suggested to General Pownall that useful results can be generated without the larger ships.


Surprise Attack Decimates Chinese Division

(TN – Dacca) The 55th Chinese Division was caught in its attempt to move on the Burmese town of Lashio again. The forward units, marching down the Burma trail, were suddenly attacked from the jungle. The Japanese left over 600 casualties laying on the trail, with no sign that the Japanese raiders suffered even one loss. The rest of the division retreated again back up the trail.

The 55th Chinese Division is one of four divisions still trying to reach India from China in order to help with its defense. The other three divisions are heading along different routes, either through the hills across Burma, or through or around Myitkyina.


First Naval Construction Battalion Reaches Reef Island

(TN – Noumea) The 1st Seabees Battalion has reached the island of Ndimi and started work on the airstrip there. The Seabees Battalions were created specifically to work on important infrastructure, such as airstrips and port facilities, on the front lines. These units immediately unloaded bulldozers and other heavy equipment to do the work as quickly as possible.

The next bottleneck in the construction of the airfield is the amount of supplies on hand. The amount of supplies on hand, in turn, suffers from a shortage of storage facilities on the island. The Seabees have their work cut out for them building all of the structures that are needed to turn a jungle island into a front-line fortress. Admiral Nimitz has ordered a number of supply ships to the front to deliver the supplies that the construction units will require.

[Thayne]

May 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.


LEXINGTON ESCAPES ATTACK

(TN – Townsville) A Japanese submarine got a chance to take the USS Lexington out of the war yesterday, and failed.

The submarine caught up with Lexington as it was pulling into the port of Cairns, Australia. A dive bomber on ASW patrol around the ship noticed the submarine just as it was getting into position and warned Lexington, which started evasive maneuvers. The submarine took a quick shot before diving, its torpedoes missing the aircraft carrier. By this time, destroyers from the escort flotilla were closing on the site.

The destroyer Hatfield got a track on the submarine as it settled to the ocean floor. It dropped its depth charges at maximum depth. Lieutenant Commander Growler was rewarded by a large burst of air bubbles from the depths, associated with a large smudge of oil and other debris. The evidence was strong enough for Military Intelligence to add the submarine to the list of confirmed kills.

Earlier, a submarine in the same waters, caught the transport convoy entering Cairns, and sank the fully loaded transport. San Vicente. The transport was carrying 7,000 tons of cargo bound for Port Moresby, was struck first near the rear of the ship with a blow that destroyed its propellers and rudder. The next torpedo hit the center of the cargo ship, and the last hit closer to the bow. The fully loaded cargo ship sank quickly.

The loss of San Vicente represents the first loss of the second mission to resupply and reinforce Port Moresby. The mission is presently getting organized at Cairns.

Southwestern Pacific Command also reported the loss of the destroyer Paul Jones yesterday. The bow of the destroyer had been blown off by a Japanese torpedo several days ago in an attempt to run a Japanese blockade at Port Moresby. Allied command expressed the opinion when it was first hit that it would not survive, but crews still struggled for two days to try to save it. When it was obvious that the ship could not be saved, it was towed away from the port and allowed to sink in deep water.


Where Is the Japanese Air Force?

(TN – Washington) Allied military intelligence has been puzzling in recent weeks over the location of the Japanese air force. During the battle to conquer Java, Japan ran regular 100-plane air raids against allied targets. Since the fall of Java, these planes have been largely missing. The only air attacks of any consequence have been attacks on Kai Island in the eastern Dutch East Indies, and against Port Moresby in New Guinea. These raids have been minor.

At Port Moresby, allied military intelligence is further puzzled by the observation that some Japanese Zero pilots flee the battle with little provocation. In a recent raid, the instant the battle was joined, a large portion of Japanese pilots broke off and flew home. This was the third raid in a row on Port Moresby in which some Zero pilots decided to flee.

The most recent battle ended up being completely one-sided. The Japanese entered the fight with a 2 to 1 advantage over the defenders, and downed seven P-40 Warhawks without suffering a single loss of their own. The only explanation that Allied military intelligence has for this behavior is that one of the squadrons flying out of Rabaul consists of inexperienced pilots. However, military intelligence is at a loss to explain the use of these pilots, given the small number of Japanese fighter squadrons currently flying on the front lines.

One possibility that has Allied strategists particularly concerned is that Japan is moving its air units to a different front to cover a large-scale attack, and wishes to hide the strength of the buildup to preserve surprise. Likely targets include the area around Timor that would allow Japan to take control of eastern Dutch East Indies and cover an attack on Kai Island, plans for a major escalation against Port Moresby, or a buildup in the Gilbert islands as a wall against Allied counter-attacks in the region.


SS Seadragon Reports Japan Moving South

(TN – Washington) Over the past three days, SS Seadragon, operating off of the coast of Indochina, has watched over to dozen troop transports all moving south. The submarine, obeying the Admiral Patch Doctrine of submarine warfare, did not attempt to aggressively pursue the task forces. Rather, it carefully recorded the number of ships and direction so that it could transmit the information at night.

Seadragon was unable to determine if the ships had troops on board or if the ships were being used to send supplies and reinforcements to units involved in earlier battles on the front line – such as Java.

Allied military intelligence has noted an increase in the number of Japanese ships sailing through the islands around Timor. The allies earlier abandoned these islands, moving the units to Kai Island instead, where it would be possible to put up a more determined defense.


Laysan Island Airstrip Opens

(TN – Hawaii) Military engineers opened up a new airstrip yesterday. They built the airstrip on Laysan Island, approximately 300 miles east of Midway Island, as a back up in case Japan decides to try to capture Midway. The airstrip is meant to serve as a base for supporting allied ground units in case of an attack on Midway, and for suppressing Japanese operations from Midway if Japan should win such a battle.

[Thayne]

Note: We just had a power failure where I live.

Now that the power is back on, every machine I have seems to be working perfectly, except for my game computer. Nothing wrong with the outlet or the power to the computer, but the computer itself remains ominously silent as I press the "go" button.

So . . . my reports may end up being somewhat delayed. I hope . . . that is all they are.

Thayne

[Speedysteve]

Best of luck Thayne.

Computer's have been the bane of my life! [;)]

[Smiffus64]

Hope you'll get it back to working order soon.

[Thayne]

Update:

The computer's power supply got fried in the power outage. A new one will be here shortly. Figure . . . 7 days, and I will be up and running again.

[tanjman]

Thayne,

Glad to hear it was only the power supply and not something more serious. Looking forward to you're next news report.

[Thayne]

May 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.


THAYNE NEWS SABOTAGE

(TN - Denver) Thayne News headquarters suffered massive damage in a sabotage attempt at its corporate headquarters. The sabotage nearly destroyed the headquarters, and came near to forcing the company to close its doors.

Military investogators have launched a massive investigation to determine the facts surrounding this attack. They have sworn to give the matter its highest priority, given the value that Thayne News has in keeping senior members of the military industrial complex informed of war matters.

Through the efforts of the Thayne News Management Staff, the agency was able to restore much of its former capabilities. Senior officials at Thayne News report that the organization will continue to provide its subscribers with information about the events in the War in the Pacific that they will not be able to get from any other news organization.


50 SHIPS AT CAIRNS

(TN – Townsville)The port at Cairns, Australia, is a hive of activity as a 50-ship task force prepares for the largest allied naval operation of the war to date. The purpose of the operation is to reinforce Port Moresby with over 7,500 soldiers, and to drop off enough supplies at Thursday Island to make the base fully operational.

Thought the day, small boats crossed the harbor, delivering senior officers to meetings and delivering orders as the mission force got organized. By the end of the day, the ships were organized into four forces, each with its own mission.

TF1037 has the job of delivering nearly 15,000 tons of supplies to Thursday Island. The most important supplies are armament and fuel for the airplanes stationed on Thursday Island. Since the Thursday Island base became operational, airplanes stationed there have been able to launch only a limited number of flights, due to a shortage in supplies. With the arrival of TF1037, General Thompson hopes that Thursday Island will be able to run regular missions against the Japanese army at Port Moresby, as well as attack Japanese relief convoys that sail toward Port Moresby.

TF1021 holds 6,500 troops belonging to the 6th Australian Infantry Division, and the 101st Australian Anti Tank Brigade with 1,000 soldiers. It also carries an additional 4,000 tons of supply for the defense force. It will take several days to unload all of the men and cargo. The last set of troop transports to reach Port Moresby suffered 2 transports sunk and 1 transport badly damaged before they had finished their job.

TF1052, a surface combat force consisting of 17 ships and built around the battleship Colorado, will be in charge of escorting TF1021 to its objective. Its mission will be to deal with any Japanese attempt to intercept the landing force, or to set up another blockade at Port Moresby. At present, military intelligence reports no signs of the Japanese planning such a mission. If the mission goes off without Japanese interference, TF1052 will aim its guns on the Japanese army outside of Port Moresby.

TF1004 consists of the carriers Saratoga and Lexington. The carriers will have the job of defending the landing force from submarine and air attacks. If the units are delivered safely to Port Moresby, the carriers will launch air strikes against Japanese shipping on the north side of New Guinea. The carrier planes have the range to reach Japanese ports on the other side of the Owen Stanley Ridge. The mission is going to bring the carriers within range of Japanese Betty torpedo bombers, so the task force is under orders to be particularly vigilant against air attacks.


Nimitz Plans Missions Against New Guinea

(TN – Noumea) Admiral Nimitz, commander of the South Pacific Fleet, has been given permission to plan an invasion to recapture some of the bases on the southwestern tip of New Guinea.

Admiral Nimitz has been arguing intensely that the allies need to launch a counter-attack to throw the Japanese off balance and to get them to start thinking defensively. Nimitz possible targets included southeastern New Guinea or the tip of the Solomon Islands chain nearest to the Santa Cruz Islands. Nimitz selected the New Guinea plan in order so that the South Pacific and Southwest Pacific forces could mutually support each other.

General Thompson, commander of the Southwest Pacific Forces, has agreed to let Nimitz run the operation to take the tip of New Guinea so that he can focus more of his energies on the defense of Kai and Aru Islands and the eventual recapture of Timor.

According to sources in the South Pacific Theater of Operations, Admiral Nimitz is looking to launch his counter-attack late in August.


General Pownall Orders AVG to China

(TN – Dacca) After weeks of discussion, General Pownall yesterday signed orders to move the American Volunteer Group to the Chinese city of Nanning. The move will give the AVG a chance to gain dominance over the skies of northern Indochina, as well as attack Japanese forces around Hong Kong. The air force will also try to cut the sea supply lanes delivering cargo to and from Haiphong Harbor and Hong Kong.

The AVG has been told to expect a fierce battle for control of the skies. The Japanese are thought to be unlikely to cede control of this airspace to the allies.

To support the American Volunteer Group, General Pownall has ordered the newly arrived 101st USA Base Force to Nanning as well. The base force is to travel by rail line to Jorhat, India. There, those parts of the base force that can be broken down into small enough units, will be flown to Yunan, China. From there, it will march to Nanning. The trip is expected to take a couple of months. Until the American base force can arrive, the AVG will get its support from the 9th Chinese Air Base Force, which has just been ordered to Nanning. As soon as the Chinese air support group is in position, the AVG will relocate.

[sadja]

Thayne:

Glad to see you back up and running, missed your reports.

Sadja

[Smiffus64]

Weyhey! Good to see you're computer troubles are over

[kokubokan25]

I'm very very glad to read your reports again!!!
Hold on. Many people follow your superb campaign.
[&o]

[Speedysteve]

Way hey. Thayne has returned...........

[dtravel]

ORIGINAL: Thayne

May 15, 1942

THAYNE NEWS SABOTAGE

<mutter mutter hire better ninjas mutter mutter and your little dog too! mutter mutter>



[:D] Welcome back!

[Thayne]

May 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.


PORT MORESBY RELIEF SAILS

(TN – Townsville) Operations aiming to build up the defenses at Thursday Island and Port Moresby began yesterday. TF1037, sent to deliver bombs and airplane fuel to Thursday Island, was the first task force to leave port, shortly after dark. As the night wore on, other ships slipped quietly out of the harbor. By morning, only cargo ships, minesweepers and minelayers, and one escort carrier were all that was left.

Almost immediately after the operation started, the Allied forces encountered the enemy. Even before TF1037 left port, its crew was thinking about submarines. The escort squadron of three emergency transport destroyers used to have four members. Gregory had been torpedoed a hundred miles off shore and had sunk. The transport ships had also lost one of their members to a Japanese submarine as they entered the harbor just days earlier.

Just outside of the harbor, a Japanese submarine fired at the convoy. The three destroyers were able to drive the submarine off without suffering any losses. TF1037 radioed back a warning so that, when the next task force left port, they were on the alert.

Two hours later, the destroyers escorting Saratoga and Lexington made contact with a submarine in about the same area, and pounced on the enemy ship with their full force. Ten of the escorting destroyers swept the water, making several contacts, and dropping depth charges into the shallow water. Reports from the destroyers say that there is no way the Japanese ship could have escaped the barrage without some damage.

While TF1004 hunted its submarine, TF1037 continued on its way to Thursday island. As it entered deeper water just past the Great Barrier Reef, the transport destroyer Little reported another contact. It made several passes over a particularly strong signal, which other ships in the task force were also able to locate. Little kept up a steady barrage until the echo from the submarine faded. The three transport destroyers triangulated the fading echo of the Japanese submarine and concluded that it was sinking. Military Intelligence added the submarine to its destroyed ship list.

Just past dawn, the remaining task forces left Cairns, carrying additional reinforcements for Port Moresby. At Port Moresby, 16,000 Allied soldiers continue to hold the town, while 11,000 Japanese soldiers threaten it from the jungle on all sides. A force of 8,000 soldiers that came at Port Moresby across the Owens Stanley Ridge occupy the valleys east of the port, while another 3,000 soldiers occupy an area of protected shoreline southest of the town. The second group of Japanese arrived with several hundred tons of supplies, which the soldiers are struggly to carry to the Japanese units further inland. Allied forces responded by bombarding Japanese troop concentrations, inflicting an estimated 50 casualties among the enemy.

In addition, Allied forces continue to fly air missions against the Japanese who are besieging the city. Six B-26 bombers and six Hudsons attacked artillery batteries in the valley northeast of Port Moresby, but military intelligence was not able to confirm any damage as a result of the attack.


Junior Officals Question Use of Carriers

(TN - Noumea) Thayne News has learned that several junior officers associated with the South Pacific Headquarters in Noumea, New Caledonia, are questioning Admiral Nimitz' decision to the the carriers in this supply operation. "They will be sailing these ships within range of Japanese Betty bombers from Rabaul and Truk Island," said one naval commander, who asked to remain nameless. "This is an escort mission for a bunch of transports. It hardly seems to be the type of mission worthy of risking carriers."

Another junior officer complained, "We should be saving our strength to defend Australia, not getting ourselves shot up over so many square miles of jungle and swamp."

When Thayne News talked to Nimitz about the reports, he waved his hand dismissively and said, "Nonsense. We defend Port Moresby so that we don't have to fight on Australian soil. Besides, if the Japanese land on Australia, we won't need carriers. We will have acres of land we can use for runways."

Later that afternoon, Nimitz is reported to have reassigned several junior officers associated with his command.


India Front Air Attacks Continue

(TN – Dacca) British and American air units continue to pound Japanese-held targets in eastern India and in Burma. The port town of Akyab in western India, now under Japanese control, received the attention of nearly 50 bombers throughout the day. Allied forces are continuing to suppress the Akyab airfields, preventing the Japanese from using it to target the strategically vital ports of Chadpur and Diamond Harbor.

Lashio, in northern Burma, was also targeted in an attempt to help out Chinese ground units in the area. In the hills north of Lashio, a Japanese division is engaging three Chinese divisions that had been threatening the city. The Japanese had recently scored a massive victory against the 55th Chinese Division, inflicting a huge number of casualties as it drove the unit away from the city.

Chinese divisions are quite small, and the combined force of three divisions have proved to be no match to a single Japanese division in the past.

The Japanese answered the Allied air operations with an attack of their own on Diamond Harbor. Only three Betty bombers were involved in the attack, but they were escorted by nearly two dozen Japanese Zero fighters. In a rare show of force, the Hurricane pilots at Diamond Harbor were able to shoot down four of the Japanese fighters, losing only two of their own.


China Reinforces India

In northern China, two Chinese divisions are about to break out of China and into India. The 29th Chinese Division has blocked the rail line to Myitkyina, where the 22nd Chinese Division is about to enter. Japan has shown a habit of capturing the town to drive out the Chinese, then abandoning it again until the Chinese show up once more. Allied forces have largely destroyed the infrastructure in Myitkyina, making it less useful to the Japanese. These two divisions will then join the four Chinese divisions that have already made the crossing into India.


Cleanup Continues at Thayne News Headquarters

Executives at Thayne News are continuing to assess the damage caused by the recent sabotage of its headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Officials have announced that damage is worse than previously thought, forcing the operation to move its headquarters to a new location. Employees at Thayne News spent most of the day salvaging what they could out of the former building and moving them to the new corporate headquarters.

According to sources within Thayne News, the greatest damage was to notes and files that were being kept on various units in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Said one Thayne News Reporter, “We get reports of a particular unit in a particular part of the ocean, and now we have no idea why it was there. It will take us a while to straighten this out.”

Late yesterday, officials at Thayne News released a statement thanking its supporters and subscribers for their kind thoughts and expressions of support while the company struggles to pick up the pieces. “We serve a high-class set of customers; they proved that to us in the last day,” the statement said.

“Meanwhile, Thayne News would like to remind our readers that we have suffered only a taste if what our fighting men and women must endure every day. While they struggle to secure our freedom, we at Thayne News will do our best to bring their story back home to the people they are fighting to defend.”

[Thayne]

May 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.


”IF WE SURVIVE THE DAY. . .”

(TN – Townsend) “If we survive the day tomorrow, our mission will have been substantially successful.” These were General Thompson’s words about the operation to resupply and reinforce Thursday Island and Port Moresby.

In an interview with Thayne News, Townsend said that the next 24 hours would be crucial. “At sundown tomorrow, both task forces will be at or near their destination. They will have the whole night to unload troops and cargo with little threat of enemy interference. The only question remains is whether they will make it to sundown tomorrow.”

He waited anxiously for news throughout the day, but no news arrived from the Coral Sea. None of the four task forces involved in the operation reported any contact with the enemy.

Tomorrow, the carriers Lexington and Saratoga will see some action as they send their bombers against the Japanese units besieging Port Moresby. Within a couple of days, General Townsend said that he hopes to have enough supplies unloaded at Thursday Island that its air units can participate more fully in the defense of Port Moresby. At the same time, elements of the 6th Australian Infantry Division should have unloaded and moved into position to help defend the city.

“If we survive the day,” General Thompson said.


Central Pacific Carriers Return to Midway

(TN - Hawaii) While one carrier operation begins, another came to an end yesterday when the Central Pacific carrier force returned to Midway Island. The carries Enterprise, Yorktown and Hornet were sent on a mission to attack Marcus Island, then sweep the Central Pacific to disrupt Japanese naval activity in the region. The task force inflicted significant damage on Marcus Island in two days of raids. During their patrol they also struck 8 Japanese transport ships and two minesweepers. Two of the transports were reported to have been carrying troops.

Though pilots are insisting that they saw several of the ships sunk, Military Intelligence has yet to add any of the targets to the Sunk Ship List, pending confirmation from sources in Japan itself. Perhaps one of the greatest benefits from the operation, according to military strategists, was the experience gained by the Allied pilots in the operation.

As the carriers pull into port, officials at Central Pacific Command in Pearl Harbor are starting to ask, “What’s next?” While Admiral Kimmel remains concerned about an eventual Japanese attack on Wake Island, others are pushing for an Allied move to retake one of the islands in the Gilbert Islands region previously taken by Japan. Apamama and Tarawa are listed as possible targets.


Babo Attacked

(TN – Darwin)Japanese forces landed at the port town of Babo, on the Papua side of Papua/New Guinea, yesterday. The port is located just over 200 miles from Allied stronghold of Kai Island.

General Thompson, commander of the Southwest Pacific theater of operations, made plans to occupy and hold Kai Island as the defense for the rest of Java fell apart. He has since moved nearly 5,000 soldiers to the island, who have been working on building fortifications.

His reason for building the Kai Island fortress was to create a breakwater that would give Darwin a little relief from the Japanese tide. Since its creation, the Kai Island fortress has been the scene of a number of fierce air battles that would have otherwise likely attacked Darwin or other areas in northern Australia. Military strategists believe that the Kai Island fortress has also slowed Japanese plans to occupy other ports in the region.

Military strategists are now considering whether it may now be time to abandon the island. From Babo, Japan will be able to load up and launch an attack of the Kai Island fortress at night, reducing the effectiveness of air cover in defending the fortification. Using Babo air fields, Japan will also be able to attack Kai Island using shorter-range aircraft.

General Thompson so far is vetoing any plans to leave Kai Island.


Mandalay Bombed

(TN – Dacca) Allied forces in India launched another massive bombing raid against the Burma city of Mandalay yesterday. 40 heavy bombers and 40 medium bombers struck a number of targets from one end of the city to the other. Targets include warehouses, factories, rail yards, bridges, and troop concentrations.

Bomb assessment teams reported that they were pleased with what they were seeing from cameras on the airplanes. They are reporting significant damage to railway depots and warehouses, which were known to be housing vital war materials. They also report that the Mandalay airstrips are too badly damaged to be used, and that extensive damage was done to buildings known to be serving as barracks for enemy troops.

Allied bombers and fighter bombers also struck Lashio and Akyab yesterday.

In addition, air units based at Imphal, India, spotted a Japanese division heading up the road from Rangoon to Myitkyina yesterday, and launched attacks against it. Military Intelligence believes that this is the 33rd Japanese Division marching north to deal with yet another Chinese incursion into the area. The 29th Chinese Division report encountering units of the Japanese force on the rail line south of Myitkyina. Meanwhile, the 22nd Chinese Division is presently marching through Myitkyina on its way to India.

General Pownall, leader of the Southeast Asia theater of operations, is attempting to pull together another naval bombardment force to use against Akyab. Members of the original bombardment force made three successful night attacks on Akyab, inflicting significant damage. Pownall has ordered those ships back to port for refit and repair.

[Thayne]

May 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.


HELP ARRIVES AT PORT MORESBY

(TN – Townsend)Thayne News was invited to sit in at Southwest Pacific Command HQ yesterday while the effort to reinforce and resupply Thursday Island and Port Moresby reached its crucial first step. In General Townsend’s own words, if the transport ships survived the day, they would be ready to start unloading their crucial cargo by sundown. Working through the night, they would be able to get a substantial portion of their men and equipment off of the ships before dawn. However, they first had to make it to port.

We arrived well before dawn. This time of year, daylight reached Port Moresby long before it reached Townsend, Australia, so we were advised to arrive early. A light blue haze on the northeastern horizon was just chasing the stars from the sky when the first communications came in. Even General Thompson had to wait until the messages were decrypted, then delivered. From the reports that came in during and after the fight, Thayne News pieced together this chain of events.

The first report of the day came in. General Thompson read it, frowned, and passed it around. The destroyers Peary and Suart each reported sighting a Japanese Glen -- a seaplane, typically launched from submarines. The carriers launched Dauntless dive bombers and sent them looking for the submarine, and sent its F4F fighters after the Glen. However, the Japanese plane had already sent its message, then headed for the clouds and the safest route home.

Captain Sherman, commander of the Lexington, ordered her ship to launch bombers for a scheduled attack on Port Moresby. The bomber pilots were told that if there were no aircraft carriers to return to, that they were to land at Port Moresby and offer whatever assistance they could.

Spotters on the ground at Port Moresby directed the bombers to their targets. The Dauntless and Devastator bombers were vectored in on troop concentrations in the valley east of Port Moresby, where the Japanese South Seas Detachment had dug in. The bulk of the squadron parked above the city. Radio operators directed them to their targets in groups of two or four. The Dauntless dive bombers would find their targets, dive in, drop their bombs, then pull up and head back to the carriers. The operation proceeded through most of the morning.

The Allies were not the only ones with planes in the sky that day. Radar at Port Moresby picked up a Japanese air unit flying on a course that would take it south of the city, towards the task forces bringing needed reinforcements. Air traffic controllers directed elements of the 49th Fighter group to intercept.

The two air forces met just off of the coast of Port Moresby. For once, allied fighters held their own against the Japanese Zeros, downing 7 enemy fighters at a loss of only two of their own. They managed to fight their way through and shoot down one of the Betty bombers as well. The enemy’s target was the minesweeper Rail, which was running picket several miles from the main task force. The Bettys dropped their bomb in formation. An array of fountains burst up around Rail, but the minesweeper had suffered no damage.

A second Japanese air group also approached the relief task force. The survivors of the first fight, low on ammunition and fuel, rushed to intercept the second attack. This time, they did not fare as well. For each Zero shot down, two Warhawks were lost, and the fighters were not able to get anywhere near the bombers.

The bombers targeted the battleship Colorado and the cruiser Chester. Anti-aircraft guns on destroyers screening Chester hit an enemy bomber. It’s wing flared, then buckled. The crowd cheered as the plane fell, leaving a column of dark smoke from where it once flew, down to the surface of the ocean.

The rest of the bombers dropped their deadly payload. A crewman with sharp eyes could watch the black specks as they fell. At first, they appeared to barely move, but they picked up speed as they fell. The bombers released their bombs in a wide patter, in the hopes that the ships they were targeting would be somewhere within that pattern. Meanwhile, the ships fought to make sure that they had escaped the bomb pattern before the bombs hit. In this contest, the ships won. The bombs hit open sea, sending up white plumes of spray.

Afternoon at Port Moresby brought a massive Japanese air raid. Nearly 80 enemy airplanes headed for the city. The combat air patrol that had fought that morning had landed, rearmed, and refueled, but they had lost ten fighters so far that day. When they took to the sky again, they were outnumbered three to one.

The Japanese took advantage of their superiority. They brought down 5 Warhawks almost immediately. Whenever an American pilot lined up on a Japanese airplane, two other Japanese would line up on him, forcing him to break off. Not a single Japanese airplane was lost.

Its bombers targeted the 2nd Australian Division. It did not pick its targets. Instead, it dropped a pattern of bombs among the allied positions, just as they had tried to do on the ships. With so many bombers participating, there was no way to run out of the damage zone. As the bombs hit, they scattered pieces of building, tents, trucks, and men across the jungle. The damage was tremendous. Medical centers in Port Moresby reported receiving over 100 casualties.

The day was drawing to an end. At headquarters, there were signs that the commanders were starting to think they had survived the day. They were starting to relax. Then, they got a report form Saratoga. Radar spotted enemy air units approaching.

Captain Sherman had kept nearly 50 Wildcats with the carriers. The instant the enemy airplanes were spotted, the wildcats were sent off in their direction. The Saratoga squadron encountered the enemy first, and took on the Japanese fighters. There were only three. The Wildcats downed one, and the other two ran for home. This left four Betty bombers without escort, and a fighter squadron from Lexington out for the hunt. The Wildcats had an easy time dropping all four bombers.

At Port Moresby, the sun was just touching the ocean west of the city. The pilot of the troop transport Wanganella put his engines in reverse, to slow the ship down, as it moved towards the pier. The propellers surrounded the ship with whirlpools and white foam. There was a gentile nudge, and crew raced to secure the ship. On the deck, Lieutenant Stewart called his platoon into formation.

Help had arrived on the shores of Port Moresby.

[Thayne]

May 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.


SCORE: 22 to 0 IN 2 DAYS

(TN – Townsend)The Flying Chiefs, in their first action of the war, have been officially credited with shooting down 22 enemy airplanes without a loss. Officially known as VF-2, the Flying Chiefs are stationed on board USS Lexington, one of two carries standing watch over the operation to reinforce and resupply Port Moresby. Thanks largely to their efforts, enemy airplanes have not scored a single hit against an allied ship – though they do keep trying.

They got their first taste of combat two days ago when a small number of enemy squadrons attacked the carrier force. While Sarratoga’s fighters took care of the fighter escort, the Flying Chiefs took on a section of Japanese Betty bombers. They shot down all four.

Yesterday, their mission was to help guard the ships landing supplies and troops at Port Moresby. There, they joined elements of the 49th Fighter Group, which was stationed at Port Moresby. The 49th typically found itself flying against the Japanese Zeros, and was often outnumbered by 2 to 1. Its ground support crew was struggling to keep the planes in the air while working on an airfield that was subject not only to enemy bombing, but enemy artillery as well. In a course of a 2-week campaign in which many of the pilots entered combat every day, the 49th had shot down 30 Japanese airplanes, at a loss of 22 of their own.

The 49th and VF-2 were flying join operations over Port Moresby when the enemy planes arrived. They came in one massive swarm of nearly 50 Betty bombers, but they had only a dozen Zeros flying escort. It was a poorly coordinated Japanese attack and, for once, the allied pilots had the Japanese fighters outnumbered.

The 49th wanted to avoid the Zeros and head straight for the bombers. This had become the standard tactic for the Warhawks, which simply could not stand up to a Zero in a straight dog fight. However, the Flying Chiefs were anxious to see how their planes stood up against the great Japanese menace. The Chiefs flew straight into the fighters, with the 49th flying support. The score came back with seven Zeros shot down – with the Flying Chiefs claiming five, without an allied plane lost. The rest of the Zeros broke off and headed for home.

This two fighter groups then waded in among the bombers. One Betty after another blew up or fell into the jungle. Military Intelligence, observing the fight from the ground, lost count of the number of Japanese planes destroyed. Half of the bombers broke off. The fighters continued their attacks on those that remained. They dropped a dozen more bombers. Less than 20 Bettys held on long enough to drop their bombs, then they turned and headed for home.

VF-2 was not the first air squadron stationed on board Lexington to gain fame. Its sister squadrons, Its Dauntless dive bombers were the first air units sank three Japanese light cruisers in the waters south of Wake Island in the opening days of the war. To this day, these ships remain the only Japanese warships larger than a destroyer to have been sunk.

Allies Gain At Port Moresby

The air battle over Port Moresby was not the only advance the Allies made in securing the port. At dawn, with no sign of the enemy and soldiers safely unloading, the battleship Colorado, joined by the cruisers Raleigh, Durbin, Minneapolis, and Chester took aim at positions held that the Japanese South Seas Detachment had established inland of the port. Their shells sailed over the city, and slammed into areas where the Japanese were building fortifications and trenches.

The Lexington also sent its bomber squadrons in to help soften up the Japanese positions. As had been done the day before, Lexington’s dive bombers circled the city, waiting to be called down in groups of 2 to 4 planes against key Japanese positions. Allied artillery, with new supplies, also shelled enemy positions. The allies even received aid from a half-dozen B-26 bombers flying in from Thursday Island, and a half-dozen Hudson bombers from Australia.

Throughout the course of the day they were able to inflict a significant pounding on the Japanese forces. Military intelligence estimated that the combined assaults yielded at least 300 Japanese casualties, and the desruction of 6 guns.

With the arrival of the new troops, military intelligence is now estimating that the allies have a 2 to 1 advantage over the Japanese forces. With this advantage, General Townsend has ordered Brigadier General Knox, the commander of the army at Port Moresby, to consider offensive operations to sweep the Japanese off of their landing beaches southwest of the city.


Surprise Raid at Madras

(TN – Dacca) Over five dozen Japanese bombers appeared unexpectedly over Madras yesterday, but managed only to damage two cargo ships in the harbor.

The Madras raid took the allies completely by surprise.

With Chadpur and Diamond Harbor brimming overflowing with supplies, Pownall had started using Madras as a backup storage facility for vital war materials. Merchant ships had been sailing past the port since the start of the war without being molested, so Madras was considered outside of the Japanese sphere of interest. Therefore, Pownall had no air units flying protection over the port. Those air units were either in the area around Dacca itself participating in the air blitz over Burma, or in Ceylon to protect that island from Japanese capture.

Consequently, 66 Japanese bombers were able to attack the port without opposition. Bombers, releasing patterns of bombs from altitudes ranging from 2 to 3 miles, targeted several ships in the harbor. Two bombs from one pattern struck the transport ship Empire Patrol. Fires immediately started spreading through the ship’s hold. Another bomb hit Kiangsu, which was in the process of unloading. The Kiangsu bomb detonated in holds that were already largely empty.

General Pownall immediately ordered a squadron of Hurricane fighters from Calcutta to Madras.


Nimitz Plans Ambitions Assault on Eastern New Guinea

(TN – Noumea) Recently given the authority to land forces on the eastern tip of New Guinea, Admiral Nimitz, commander of the forces in the South Pacific, immediately expanded the scope of his operations to include Goodenough Kiriwina, and Woodlark Island. The four ports combine to make an arch-shaped shield dividing the South Pacific from the Japanese controlled Bismarck Archipelago, and the northern cost of New Guinea.

In planning for this operation, Nimitz has already given orders to the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions to prepare for landings on Gili Gili, on the tip of New Guinea. The 1st USMC Raiders and the 2nd USMC Parachute Battalion have orders to move on Goodenough Island The 1st USMC Parachute Battalion have been ordered to target Kiriwina, and the 37th USA Infantry Division will be landing on Woodlark Island.

At present, Goodenough, Kiriwina, and Woodlark Islands are still under Australian control The Japanese have command of the air and water around these islands, but they have not yet made a move to capture the islands. Admiral Nimitz is expecting that the Japanese will change that fact before he can get units into the area to hold the islands. However, the Japanese will lack time to build a substantial defense, which they are probably already doing at other potential targets such as Tulagi.


Japan Occupies Maumere

(TN – Darwin) Japanese forces took control of the Dutch East Indies island of Maumere yesterday. The island, located 150 miles west of Timor, was Japan’s most recent step to occupy all of the Dutch East Indies, and further isolates the future target of Timor. General Townsend, commander of the Southwest Pacific Forces, is closely watching what the Japanese are doing at and around Timor, since he has plans to recapture the island as soon as sufficient resources become available.

At present, Japan controls the far-western port of Kupang on Timor, and all of the surrounding islands. The central and eastern part of the island remains under the control of the Dutch, but they have no military units there to resist Japanese expansion. Timor’s garrisons were removed and sent to Kai and Aru Islands, nearly 400 miles northwest of Timor, which General Townsend saw as easier to defend.