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Christmas Day 1941 was the bloodiest day of the war since the inital attack on Pearl Harbour. The Japanese High Command had positioned its submarines and strategic places near Ambon, in the Timor Sea off Darwin and in the Arafura Sea. One Tanker, a submarine tender, two transports and a USN destroyer damaged off Sorong had been lost on this day to enemy submarines.

All air assests in the area have been ordered to conduct extensive and aggressive ASW patrols, while all immediate and available ASW ships were put into action. Four fuel laden tankers from Balikpapan were heading to the area and the recently arrived 27th BG(A-24) had just left Brisbane in crates with a destination of Java. Their respective safe arrivals were of the upmost importance.

Operation Pugio

Upon commencement of hostilities Alaska Defence Command and Canda Command had cooked up the first coperative allied offensive of the war. Two canadian merchant raiders would accompany three USN submarines into the main Japanese shipping lanes off Hokaido and Sakhalin. The prevalent bad weather at this time of year was expected to be of great help to the surface contingents as it was hoped it would keep the airforce on the ground while using it as cover to intercept convoys.

The ships arrived off Japanese coasts on the 18th Decemeber and immediately sought to engage enemy shipping. The first attack occured on the night of 19th Decemeber when the AMC Prince Henry engaged and damaged two light freighters off Hakodate. A bit further north the Prince Robert, in shipping lanes off Sakhalin, twice engaged enemy shipping. Sinking an escort vessel and damaging a light tanker. The Henry once again engaged enemy ships on Christmas Eve sinking an escort vessel. Both ships withdrew sighlty to the east as it was expected that IJN surface units would be hunting for them. The submarines would act as their eyes and ears and they would then move once again into enemy shipping lanes as targets were spotted by the subs.





Status of Operation Pugio 25-12-41

Edit: Double Post

Herb has caught me off gusrd by landing a force at Mersing. while my attention was fixed on the Moluccas area he was able to sneak in a landing force covered by the IJN's CVL's. His intital beachhead was too weak to immediately eject my forces from there but a second day of fighting saw a closely fought encounter that the troopers of the 22nd Aus Brigade barely won. It was a disappointing day for the RAF fighter wing as they let their brave bomber pilots, especially those flying Vildebeestes fly into the enemy CAP unescorted. 6 brave pilots went to their death attacking enemy transports. Two air raids were conducted over Singapore's airfields but the flak defence damaged a fair few enemy planes and shot down a couple which means that a second attack on Mersing will be carried out tomorrow with orders for the fighters to either fly or join the Aussies on the front line as infantry!

FROM: JCIGS, LONDON
TO:GEN PERCIVAL, MALAYA ARMY, SINGAPORE
DATE: 1-1-42
SUBJECT: DISMISSAL

FOLLOWING THE FALL OF MERSING AND IMMINENT ENCLOSING OF SINGAPORE BY JAPANESE TROOPS YOU ARE DISMISSED FROM YOUR POST WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT AND YOUR SUCCESSOR IS ON HIS WAY

END

Haven't you just expended a lot of PPs just to remove Percival?  Was that really a good investment?
 
Alfred

I think is the beSt idea in Malaya. it's expensive (150 PP), but change will have improves at Singapore defense capabilities.
In my own game i Have releaved him by GEN CASSELS, and i have noted best reemplacements rates in the units, a quick redeploy of my supplies, improved moral and best ratio of experiences growth.
Regards!

@Alfred:

I think the PP expenditure is justified if I can hold out for longer. A strategic oversight on my part has allowed Herb to land at Mersing. He's playing a very aggressive opening gambit in this game and I will be hard pressed to hold the key areas. I'm trying to buy myself some time by reinforcing the resolve to hold in Singers.

As the Japanese juggernaut rages on Tarakan is attacked. So is Manado, Cagayan, and Ambon. But despite the defeat of Allied forces all over the front, a piece of good news. Vildebeeste torpedo bombers from Singapore, relics of another war, managed to sink the light carrier Taiyo with teo torpedo hits. A small dent to the Japanese war machine but a massive boost to Allied morale.

erm apologies for size of attachment [&o]

Do you have any clue to where KB is or is where it might go?