Matrix Games Forums

13th April

Blamey takes the signal, barely glances at it.
He is too damn busy at this moment to give it more than acknowledgement.
A Japanese tank regiment is charging down the rail line straight at him.
Another trying to get way, way behind him

And 5th Division has finally been spotted, just 20 miles out of Busselton, with the
main Japanese forces seemingly everywhere else.

His plan, a grab for Lunga, has been cancelled.
But the troops allotted for it, already loaded for it, already at sea, have been
diverted.
The Yanks are coming, at last.

April 13th

Prime Minister Ford sits still upon his bed, staring at the wall.
An hour ago, the news he has been praying to hear.
The Yanks are coming.

Fifteen minutes ago, other news

His wife is having an affair.

April 13th

CL Trenton, racing North, is caught mid ocean by Heavy Cruisers Ashigara, Nachi, 2 destroyers.

She is sunk.

There is no doubt then, that KB lurks in the mid Indian ocean.

April 13th

John Ford guides Napier carefully out of Bombay.
It is not an easy passage, the sea mist is thick on the horizon, the Harbour marks
hard to see.
Some things however, have gotten easier.
A purely Commonwealth Task force.
Common signals, common doctrines and procedures.
Heavy cruiser Australia, nicely patched up, Perth, Hobart, the two Kiwis.
All the N class destroyers.

And some where behind in the mist, the R class lumbering along.

It is no secret the Japanese are waiting for them.
Good. There has been enough one sided fights in this war.
John looks about him at the ships beginning to shake themselves into formation.
Lets see the barsteds take on this lot..........

13 April
Lt Jackson knocks quietly on Admiral Halsey's door.
"Enter"
"Ships status report sir.........all ships ready to sail"

The Admiral takes the report, looks it over
"What do you think Jackson?"
"Sir?"
"About the op?"

Jackson hesitates. A tough question. A tougher answer. Admirals do not, usually, ask for
Lieutenants opinions.
"Its a real risk sir, Enterprise, 2 Brit carriers verses maybe the whole KB, its......"
"Its?"
"Its a pity that Sara and Lex are not still available."

The Admiral almost scowls. After all, it is he who sent them home.
"Jackson, this is the hottest potato I could ever be given, take the Aussies straight south, straight
to Australia, you know, if it costs us Enterprise, so be it........
Unspoken, of course, is the elephant in the corner.

What happens to the Aussies then?

April 14th

(a turn at last)

It is not a good day. The allies are still poking around the islands near Ndendi.
Today, 4 DMS investigate the bay.
They find no mines, no sign of troops ashore (not that they have time for
a good look)
Battleships Hyuga and Ise find them.

A painful loss, with a whole war still to be fought.

April 15th

The day is nothing like Jack ford ever imagined a fighter pilots would be like.
It begins early, almost before dawn.
There are 30 odd Wirriways operating from this same strip. They depart first.
Then, its the charge down the strip, the climb to no more than 500 feet, a thousand
some times. Frantic getting the gear up, and then, then into the attack.

The Japanese 2nd tank regiment is spread across the desert no more than 10 miles from the end of the strip,
dozens of little black beetles, resolutely driving north east, determined, it seems,
to out flank Kalgoorlie.
They are damned difficult to hit.
The wirriways have literally dropped a hundred bombs on them, and missed a hundred times.

But from a hundred feet, 50 feet, damn well nearly 20 feet, the strafing Kittyhawks
are getting into the game.

Jack gets the gear up, banks, banks, picks his target......this little buggar has a flag.
Dives, weaves, the ground flashing underneath, the beetle growing, tracer hammering, the
bullets ploughing the desert, striking, flashing, the tank literally disintegrating
under the blows, the guns hissing empty, hauling back, zooming up, breathing again, and joining the cue
to land again.

Half an hour later, Jack takes to the air again, to do it all again, and again, and again.......

15 April

from
General Blamey
to
Prime Minister

Sir, in light of situation here, have established a new 2nd Australian Army HQ, to work
under the new South West pacific Command. I am charging it with defence of
the East coast, specifically the Americans.
Eastern Command is moving to the defence of Port Moresby


We have given the Japs a problem to solve here. They have only today realised what they are against,
near Kalgoorlie, and east of it, and are managing to get two tank regiments into deep
you know what.
Albany fell to the Imperial guard today.
Western Army is nicely camped in his rear, plentifully supplied, I estimate it will take
at least 2 full divisions to tackle it, leaving only 2 for Kalgoorlie.

We have intel, 48th division to land at Port Kembla. I believe the Americans will be able to deal
with that!
The big question is, of course, is Winston really going to give us back 1st Corp, and,
how will it get here, via the cape?, or fought through?

The later fills me with the willies..........

16th April
From
CINCPAC

TO
Operation Ndendi

Invasion cancelled
All forces allocated to return to Suva at max speed.

CARDIV 5 sighted by coast watchers Tulgia.



From
Commander Southwest Pacific
to
CINCPAC

This command now operational.

Send immediately reinforcements.

General MacArthur



Prime Minister Fords office

"What in the hell do you mean I don't have enough political influence to get rid of
that arrogant son of a bitch!"

"What in the hell do you mean I don't have enough political influence to get rid of
that arrogant son of a bitch!"

[:D]

April 16th

A man emerges from deep jungle, and moves cautiously down to the edge of the golden sand beach.
He is careful to remain in the shadows of the trees, and he quickly takes shelter
behind some rocks at the waters edge.
This is a great risk, to emerge from the shelter of the Jungle. As far as he knows, the Japanese
don't even know he is on this island, him and his radio carefully hidden 100 yards away
in a small cave.
But Tulgia is a small island, and there are at least 1000 japs on it now, it would not take long for them to
hunt him down.
If they see him.
But he has to take this risk. He needs to see, needs to confirm what ship is anchored out there.

He raises his glasses, scans the warship. He can see every detail, the men on her bridge, the planes on her
on her deck.

He only needs one look.
Satisfied, Coastwatcher Roberts slips back into the jungle.
The message sent is short, sharp.
It will ripple across the Pacific, and reach eventually even the Northern Indian Ocean.

CV Shokakua anchored Tulgia.

16 April

75th squadron hammers at the 2nd tank regiment, destroying 9 more tanks today.
The Maltilda's have them cut off, tomorrow, they will tackle them.

1st Corp sails.

Months ago the British swung nearly all of their transports to the Pacific theatre.
Today, a great many of them also sail, bellies full of armour, planes, men.
The allied Command has decided.
There are 4 Japanese divisions in Australia.
None must be allowed to get home.

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

The allied Command has decided.
There are 4 Japanese divisions in Australia.
None must be allowed to get home.

Bibow brought seven divisions to Oz in my game!

As a none WitPAE player,I have no idea and I do not want to hijack this thread. Can Oz fall?

I just love following the AAR's of 1275psi.

Mat

As a none WitPAE player,I have no idea and I do not want to hijack this thread. Can Oz fall?

I just love following the AAR's of 1275psi.

Don't have a reply for you, but this must be the greatest compliment to 1275psi[X(]

ORIGINAL: british exil

As a none WitPAE player,I have no idea and I do not want to hijack this thread. Can Oz fall?

I just love following the AAR's of 1275psi.

Mat

It is rare for Oz to fall but it has been done by a couple of players. Castor Troy said he had done it twice. I think John III may have done it once. Maybe Captain Cruft.
But all those were several years ago when the game was new enough that the Allied players did not believe that Oz was in danger and directed their troops elsewhere. Since then, every Allied player seems to be ready to direct troops to India or Oz depending where the main Japanese thrust is. In most games, northern and NW Oz are easily taken by the Japanese and the Allies are nearly unaffected - they just take the area back in late 1942 - mid 1943.

If Japan loses naval supremacy, Oz can be a tar-baby: their troops in Oz are trapped because shipping cannot get in to evacuate nor resupply them. Cap Mandrake and Sprior pulled off the prisoner-of-war-camp Oz a couple of years ago. Then they steamrolled through the DEI, Borneo and beyond because the IJA did not have enough troops to defend them.

Its people like British Exile that keep one writing, it can be hard work at times!![:'(]


April 17th

Bridge
CV Enterprise

Admiral Halsey stands alone on the wing of the bridge.
Some 6 or so feet, his staff stand behind him, and wait.

On his shoulders, and his alone, must the decision be made.
Do the first Corp, the tank regiment, the 3 extra British brigades, travel direct
south to Australia, or do they go via the Cape, then risk the long arctic circle route to Melbourne?


Lt Jackson stands amongst them, waiting as well.
He knows the facts as well as any of them.

Zuikaku, Shokakua, shoho, at Tulgia. 4 battleships in the solomons, the attack
against Port Moresby gaining momentum

Leaving 4 heavy, 3 or 4 light carriers un accounted for, but some definitely waiting near
Christmas island.

Our carrier, 2 brits, a third brit in 10 days.

Not enough, surely.

But to actually damage several, even while being sunk themselves???, if the convoy gets through,
a chance to kill a great, great many Japs.

Halsey turns away from the sweeping vista of the ships about them.

"There is some sort of decision about to be made at some place called Kalgoorlie, wherever that is.
If the Aussies prevail, all the better.. If not, well......
We are going to wait for the third Brit carrier, then its south, straight through for us.
I want to bend those yellow barsteds over, and give them one where the sun does not shine...."

he points towards Jackson "Fuel requirements to get us to Carnovan, northern Australia"

From
Eastern Command
to
General Blamey


Enemy have started campaign against Port Moresby in earnest.
Bombarded by 2 Battleships last night, destroyer Dent lost, 2 jap DDs heavily damaged.
Airfield moderately damaged.

Supply situation still acceptable, moral good.
Awaiting reinforcements



From
General Blamey
to Prime Minister

A great deal later than expected, battle for Port Moresby has begun
It is imperative that the fighting remains concentrated on this point until such time s
the Americans arrive east coast.

General Mac should be ordered to Port Moresby immediately. If PM survives until arrival
of American reinforcements, then I will advocate to fight for the place...
EVEN AT THE COST OF WHATEVER IS SENT.

EVERY DAY that invasion of our east coast can be delayed, is a day closer to re claiming the west
You must be reconciled that troops PNG, may well be lost.
This will not be in vain, if an invasion can be delayed.

I hope you understand the reality of this.
4 divisions lost to Japan is too good a prize to pass up.

Yours
Blamey.

April 17th

The Jap tank regiments slip away from engagement for another day, one now 40 miles
north of Kalgoorlie, another way south east of it, just realising that it faces more than just scattered troops

75th do not fly today, they rest

From flying that is.
As the mechanics work on much, much needed maintenance of the birds, every man spare on
the squadron takes up a shovel, or a pick, and digs

Kalgoorlie is a mining town. Already laced with a thousand tunnels, thousands more waste
tailings, where every citizen scratches in the dirt for recreation (when not drinking), it
is not hard to fortify this place.

Japans Paras were meant to take this place by coup de main.
Now 2 divisions, 2 understrength regiments, 6 support units dig.
An entire Army Corp is steadily sinking into the earth, vanishing out of sight, and danger.