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

[Cap Mandrake]

B-24 at 6000 ft does a lot of damage

Morning Air attack on 14th Garrison Unit , at 58,61 (Nakhon Ratchasima)

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 14 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 7
B-24D1 Liberator x 8

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D Liberator: 2 damaged
B-24D1 Liberator: 3 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
313 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 13 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 15 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

[Cap Mandrake]

Morning Air attack on 14th Garrison Unit , at 58,61 (Nakhon Ratchasima)

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 8 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-24D1 Liberator x 10

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D1 Liberator: 4 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
186 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 21 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

[Cap Mandrake]

Sumatra: We flew in about 30 Bofors to Padang.

Morning Air attack on 14th Garrison Unit , at 58,61 (Nakhon Ratchasima)

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 8 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-24D1 Liberator x 10

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D1 Liberator: 4 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
186 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 21 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

[Cap Mandrake]

C-87's flies in some Indian special forces to Padang and the we send down 4 C-47's which dodge the Betty raids to do this. This happened to be the Alfred and the Chipmunks platoon.

Ground combat at Benkoelen (45,91)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 41 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 2

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

Allied adjusted assault: 3

Japanese adjusted defense: 1

Allied assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 0)

Allied forces CAPTURE Benkoelen !!!

Combat modifiers
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(-)

Assaulting units:
77th LRP Bde /3

[Cap Mandrake]

I predict they stop using the Vals at Padang.

Afternoon Air attack on 77th LRP Brigade, at 44,85 (Padang)

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 15 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
D3A1 Val x 19
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 15

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 5 damaged
D3A1 Val: 3 destroyed by flak

Allied ground losses:
18 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

[Cap Mandrake]

Finally, the heavies at Cagayan take off and we lay some lumber on Manila AF. What made this possible was the diversion of Japanese air power to cover a possible landing on Sumatra. Well coordinated raid from 3 different bases on Mindanao plus fighters coming from Bataan. I am impressed

Morning Air attack on Manila , at 79,77

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 34

Allied aircraft
B-17F Fortress x 7
B-24D Liberator x 15
B-25C Mitchell x 14
B-25D1 Mitchell x 16
F4U-1 Corsair x 11

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 3 destroyed, 7 damaged
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 1 destroyed on ground
Ki-21-IIb Sally: 1 destroyed on ground
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 1 destroyed on ground

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D Liberator: 5 damaged
B-25C Mitchell: 4 damaged

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

Airbase hits 8
Airbase supply hits 6
Runway hits 30

[Cap Mandrake]

****************March 6, 1943(e)**********

Sundas: The Netties are still up in Malaysia, I think...so we sneak up on Ambon.

Night Naval bombardment of Ambon at 76,109

Allied Ships
CL Montpelier
CL Phoenix
CL Marblehead
DD Radford
DD Cony
DD Chevalier

Japanese ground losses:
138 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 11 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled

Airbase hits 7
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 38
Port hits 20
Port supply hits 5

[Cap Mandrake]

Indian Ocean: JJ never took Christmas Island so we are building the AF. It's a dangerous place.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Christmas Island IO at 45,104

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
D3A1 Val x 34

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 2 damaged

Allied Ships
xAK Indira, Bomb hits 10, heavy fires, heavy damage
SC-522
SC-738, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk

[Cap Mandrake]

SE Asia: I figure JJ will have the Tojos over Nakhon so we attack the unit further east instead....and that is where the Tojos are today.

Morning Air attack on 21st Division, at 60,61 , near Nakhon Ratchasima

Weather in hex: Light rain

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

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 21

Allied aircraft
Fulmar II x 8

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Fulmar II: 4 destroyed

[Cap Mandrake]

The RAF gifted the Fulmar to the IAF. [:D]

[Cap Mandrake]

Mowhawks are crap too.

Morning Air attack on 21st Division, at 60,61 , near Nakhon Ratchasima

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 11 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 21

Allied aircraft
Mohawk IV x 11
Vengeance I x 13

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Mohawk IV: 4 destroyed
Vengeance I: 7 destroyed

[Cap Mandrake]

Oh Jeez...make it stop

Morning Air attack on 21st Division, at 60,61 , near Nakhon Ratchasima

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 7 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 8

Allied aircraft
Blenheim VD x 12
Beaufort VIII x 4

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Blenheim VD: 4 destroyed, 2 damaged

[Cap Mandrake]

Fighters over Nakhon too.

Morning Air attack on 14th Garrison Unit , at 58,61 (Nakhon Ratchasima)

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 11

Allied aircraft
Vengeance I x 16

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Vengeance I: 4 destroyed, 1 damaged

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

[Cap Mandrake]

Finally, a suitable escort...and here is the payoff

Morning Air attack on 14th Garrison Unit , at 58,61 (Nakhon Ratchasima)

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 4

Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIc Trop x 9
Vengeance I x 42

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Vengeance I: 1 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
306 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 12 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 12 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

[Cap Mandrake]

Now the CAP is worn out. We attritted ourselves.

Morning Air attack on 21st Division, at 60,61 , near Nakhon Ratchasima

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 13 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 2

Allied aircraft
Beaufort I x 15
Blenheim IV x 4

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Beaufort I: 5 damaged

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

[Cap Mandrake]

The fun part.

Morning Air attack on 13th Garrison Unit , at 58,61 (Nakhon Ratchasima)

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Allied aircraft
Vengeance I x 13

No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
86 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

[Cap Mandrake]

The B-24's

Morning Air attack on 55th Engineer Regiment, at 58,61 (Nakhon Ratchasima)

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 17 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 4
B-24D Liberator x 14
B-24D1 Liberator x 10

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D Liberator: 3 damaged
B-24D1 Liberator: 5 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
376 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 10 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 26 disabled

[Cap Mandrake]

and

Morning Air attack on 55th Engineer Regiment, at 58,61 (Nakhon Ratchasima)

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 13 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-24D1 Liberator x 9

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D1 Liberator: 3 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
131 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled

Aircraft Attacking:
9 x B-24D1 Liberator bombing from 6000 feet
Ground Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb

[Cap Mandrake]

PI: More fighters over Manila today.

Morning Air attack on Manila , at 79,77

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 12
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 10
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 26

Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 16
B-25D1 Mitchell x 11

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 1 destroyed
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
B-25C Mitchell: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
B-25C Mitchell: 1 destroyed by flak
B-25D1 Mitchell: 7 damaged

Runway hits 1

[Cap Mandrake]

Another wave

Morning Air attack on Manila , at 79,77

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 38 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 1
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 1
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 7

Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 4
B-25D1 Mitchell x 6

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 1 destroyed
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 6 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
B-25C Mitchell: 1 damaged
B-25D1 Mitchell: 1 damaged

Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 8