Spanking Lowpe (NJP72 vs Lowpe (A))

[Lowpe]

Donggala being built up...port only has access on the Makassar Strait.

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[Lowpe]

She will work with Saratoga!

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[Lowpe]

The Benedict Arnold? That's getting creative.

How is the liberation of Burma coming? Your forces there seem to be at risk of being irrelevant, although if you can take Bangkok with them then it would be easy enough to leave a modest garrison there and strat move the rest over to Indochina and SW China.

I'm not sure what you'd gain by a Mersing invasion, unless it's to allow shipping through the Straits of Malacca. I'd say now is the time to go for the jugular, meaning in the direction of South China, Formosa and possibly Luzon for flank security.

Just some friendly advice. You know what you're doing better than any of us.

Cheers,
CB

Burma is moving slowly....have plans to get the troops forward. Certainly there are excess troops there available for forward ops. Mersing, or elsewhere on Malaya could get them forward faster without using too many US forces.

Prep on China/Formosa, north P islands, etc is building.

[Lowpe]

Our forward repair facility....not so forward anymore. There is a third AR present, but it just arrived and has a point of damage so she is getting fixed overnight. There are 17 DDs here getting worked on.

Jolo just got their first 3 ADs and 1 AR today...and eventually these ships will all migrate forward.

The ARDs are the 3k size. More on the way. I have two of the 50k size one of which just left San Fran and the other is working on a damaged BB at Tabby.

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[RangerJoe]

Turn delay was due to ANZAC Day....not by my operations, lols.

Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand observed on April 25th each year. It commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations" as well as the contribution and suffering of all those who have served. It was originally devised to honour ANZACs who served in the Gallipoli campaign during World War

May they Rest In Peace.

[BBfanboy]

Turn delay was due to ANZAC Day....not by my operations, lols.

Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand observed on April 25th each year. It commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations" as well as the contribution and suffering of all those who have served. It was originally devised to honour ANZACs who served in the Gallipoli campaign during World War

Just saw on BBC news that about 1700 ANZAC relatives and current members went to Turkiye (that's how the Turks spell it and say it) to do a commemoration at Gallipoli. A Maori or Aborigine guy was playing a mournful sound on the digeridoo - very cool and moving way to remember the dead.

[RangerJoe]

Turn delay was due to ANZAC Day....not by my operations, lols.

Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand observed on April 25th each year. It commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations" as well as the contribution and suffering of all those who have served. It was originally devised to honour ANZACs who served in the Gallipoli campaign during World War

Just saw on BBC news that about 1700 ANZAC relatives and current members went to Turkiye (that's how the Turks spell it and say it) to do a commemoration at Gallipoli. A Maori or Aborigine guy was playing a mournful sound on the digeridoo - very cool and moving way to remember the dead.

They go there every year.

"A moving tribute to the Anzacs killed at Gallipoli is often attributed to Atatürk in 1934:

Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives ... You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours ... You, the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well."

https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/ataturk

[CaptBeefheart]

As usual, the Kiwis and Aussies held ceremonies here at the Korean War Memorial at dawn on April 25. They each have several military personnel in country, so the photo ops are good (plus various allies, including Korea, of course, send officers). The Aussies commemorate the Battle of Kapyong on April 27, the big stand the 3RAR and other troops of 27 Commonwealth Brigade made in 1951, so the timing of ANZAC Day is good.

Sadly, it's a rare day I run into an actual veteran of the war anymore. When I do, though, I give him my thanks for defending the country where I have a family and a business. They appreciate it.

Cheers,
CB

[Lowpe]

Great posts on ANZAC day!

[Lowpe]

"A moving tribute to the Anzacs killed at Gallipoli is often attributed to Atatürk in 1934:

Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives ... You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours ... You, the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well."

https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/ataturk

"Often attributed." The cynic in me points this out. How hard could it be to verify that? Radio?

The optimist in me wants to believe. Where are our statesmen in todays absolute clown world?

[Lowpe]

Taking my time on this turn....although nothing really super exciting going on.

Reinforcing our freshly conquered bases....getting some air support in and ships forward. Have to be a little careful at Sinkawang as the Yamato might be near.

Using Sink as a staging base, I could get a small carrier force past Singers in a day and night...and then invade with Commonwealth forces on the Malacca Straits or above.

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[Lowpe]

Aug 6th, 1943

A relatively quiet day....swept mines at quite a few places too.

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[Lowpe]

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The Billy Sunday....baseball player turned preacher...

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[CaptBeefheart]

I've never heard of Billy Sunday, but there sure are some interesting names for the Liberties, including probably the entire Luckenbach family.

Cheers,
CB

[Lowpe]

Aug 7, 1943

Burma progress....plodding forward. Lack the Carriers/LRCAP to do an amphib landing right now....working on it. Right now just advancing by maneuver.

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[Lowpe]

I accidentally let my carrier coverage move away from this convoy....and paid the price.

There is a tactic, to my mind not much used, where you assign low aggressive commanders to strike squadrons and rely upon good DL levels...most players want to have full control, unlike me who loves it when the local commanders over rule high command.

I wonder if Japan is using that....since the convoy was equally susceptible to air attack the day prior, but had 100 Hellcats flying CAP from carriers and P40s flying LRCAP....

Morning Air attack on TF, near Busuanga at 77,80

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 51 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes

Japanese aircraft
D4Y1 Judy x 24

Japanese aircraft losses
D4Y1 Judy: 1 damaged

Allied Ships
xAP Johanne Justesen, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Ellaroo, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
DE Hatfield

Allied ground losses:
Vehicles lost 20 (4 destroyed, 16 disabled)

Aircraft Attacking:
15 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb
5 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb
4 x D4Y1 Judy releasing from 1000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 kg SAP Bomb

Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAP Johanne Justesen

[Lowpe]

Aug 8, 1943

Quiet day...damaged an Iboat or two, CD guns trash two IJN minesweepers at Quinhon, 17 planes shot down for 3 Allied losses....deliberate attack Chungking, good thing there is a steady supply of fresh troops arriving.

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Ground combat at Chungking (76,45)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 109502 troops, 1419 guns, 2621 vehicles, Assault Value = 3802

Defending force 134149 troops, 33 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 2420

Japanese adjusted assault: 4009

Allied adjusted defense: 2797

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese Assault reduces fortifications to 0

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
7888 casualties reported
Squads: 26 destroyed, 704 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 93 disabled
Engineers: 17 destroyed, 95 disabled
Guns lost 57 (1 destroyed, 56 disabled)
Vehicles lost 317 (16 destroyed, 301 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
6293 casualties reported
Squads: 214 destroyed, 431 disabled
Non Combat: 49 destroyed, 129 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 9 (7 destroyed, 2 disabled)
Units destroyed 5

[Lowpe]

Aug 9, 1943

Hit one tanker, it will sink...while a 2nd tanker gets hit but the torpedo fails to detonate.

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[Lowpe]

Pick up another great base...

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[Lowpe]

A misuse of the Yamato I think.

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