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

[Cap Mandrake]

*****************Bar, Royal Hawaiian*************


FAM: Landing at Townsville? That sounds bad. <swirls bourbon around in glass>

Intel guy: It is, sir. The idea of an evacuation of the Australian government arose.

FAM: Evacuation? Hell NO! How would that look if the King just bugs out? Where does he stay, by the way?

Intel guy: The King of England, sir?

FAM: No, the King of Australia. Try to stay with the conversation, son.

[Cap Mandrake]

I found my lost set of keys but the carriers are still missing.

[Cap Mandrake]

*************January 7, 1942(e)**********

One month of fighting and they are picking of Australian cities like sitting ducks.


Cairns: Fell to ground attack. Hardly a surprise as we had no AV there.

Townsville: Landing at Townsville with the equivalent of about 2 regiments of infantry. We have an Australian reserve brigade not yet at full strength and some US and Aussie support units. Level 1 forts. Theoretically we have way more AV points but the reality is the brigade is green and understrength. We need to get the planes and ships out of there. One CA and one DD and essentially undamaged and have full main gun ammo and fuel. They will ahve to go first and try to break out toward Horn Island as Jap carriers are parked off the barrier reef about 250 miles NE of Brisbane. It looks like another amphibious group headed SE along the reef perhaps bound for Rockhampton or Bundaberg or evern Brisbane.

[BBfanboy]

Shallow waters and few access points - sounds like a setup for minefield ops!

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I found my lost set of keys but the carriers are still missing.

Try clicking the remote to flash the carriers' parking lights.

[Onime No Kyo]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

*****************Bar, Royal Hawaiian*************


FAM: Landing at Townsville? That sounds bad. <swirls bourbon around in glass>

Intel guy: It is, sir. The idea of an evacuation of the Australian government arose.

FAM: Evacuation? Hell NO! How would that look if the King just bugs out? Where does he stay, by the way?

Intel guy: The King of England, sir?

FAM: No, the King of Australia. Try to stay with the conversation, son.

Its the same person, no? Or are we talking about MacArthur?

[Itdepends]

Well it could be Graham Kennedy aka The King or this bloke
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... ralia.html

But I'm sure they don't mind as long as we keep the focus on Australia and not Bangladesh, sorry, India

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I found my lost set of keys but the carriers are still missing.

Try clicking the remote to flash the carriers' parking lights.

[:D]

[Cap Mandrake]

Oh sure. Everyone laughs at the kids getting beat up instead of stepping in to help.

***********January 8, 1942(e)**********

More ass kicking.

[Cap Mandrake]

Townsville: More Japs coming ashore. The CD guns get a few licks in.

nvasion Support action off Townsville (92,144) - Coastal Guns Fire Back!
Defensive Guns engage approaching landing force

68 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Japanese Ships
AMC Saigon Maru
AMC Awata Maru
xAK Sinsei Maru
xAK Nissan Maru, Shell hits 2, on fire, heavy damage

Japanese ground losses:
72 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Allied ground losses:
121 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

[Cap Mandrake]

The ships (mostly damaged) try to break out to Horn Island. This actually works. [:)]

Minneapolis, only lightly damaged finds a juicy target but the WJD's escape?

Night Time Surface Combat, near Palm Island at 92,143, Range 11,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Hakaze
xAP Argentina Maru, Shell hits 2

Allied Ships
CA Minneapolis, Shell hits 1
DD Ralph Talbot

An inbound bombardment DD force has no interest in fighting.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Palm Island at 92,142, Range 11,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Yugure
DD Ariake
DD Yayoi
DD Kikuzuki
DD Mochizuki
DD Yuzuki
DD Oite
DD Yunagi

Allied Ships
CA Minneapolis
DD Ralph Talbot

[Cap Mandrake]

Leander, with moderate damage, is trying to break out behind Minneapolis.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Palm Island at 92,143, Range 10,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Yugure
DD Ariake, Shell hits 1
DD Yayoi
DD Kikuzuki
DD Mochizuki
DD Yuzuki
DD Oite
DD Yunagi

Allied Ships
CL Leander, Shell hits 1

Argentina Maru lucks out twice in one night.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Cairns at 93,140, Range 12,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Hakaze
xAP Argentina Maru

Allied Ships
CA Minneapolis
DD Ralph Talbot

[Cap Mandrake]

The more badly damaged cruisers attempt to break out. They can't fight back effectively

Night Time Surface Combat, near Townsville at 92,144, Range 11,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Michishio
DD Asagumo, Shell hits 1
DD Shiratsuyu
DD Shigure, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Harusame, Shell hits 1
DD Yudachi

Allied Ships
CA New Orleans, Shell hits 2
CA San Francisco, Shell hits 4, heavy damage
DD Jarvis, Shell hits 7, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

[Cap Mandrake]

Townsville falls. 3 full infantry regiments, a recon regiment and engineers. Everyone should just run away.

Ground combat at Townsville (92,144)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 15038 troops, 117 guns, 41 vehicles, Assault Value = 456

Defending force 6388 troops, 87 guns, 48 vehicles, Assault Value = 114

Japanese adjusted assault: 188

Allied adjusted defense: 40

Japanese assault odds: 4 to 1 (fort level 1)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Townsville !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: disruption(-), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
207 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 23 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled

Allied ground losses:
3109 casualties reported
Squads: 50 destroyed, 34 disabled
Non Combat: 74 destroyed, 18 disabled
Engineers: 42 destroyed, 3 disabled
Guns lost 52 (35 destroyed, 17 disabled)
Vehicles lost 30 (29 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Units retreated 4
Units destroyed 3

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
4th Infantry Regiment
16th Infantry Regiment
2nd Recon Regiment
2nd Engineer Regiment
24th Infantry Regiment
2nd Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
11th Australian Brigade
Townsville Fortress
14th RAAF Base Sqdn
Bowen RAN Stn Base Force
1st Port Maint Engineer Battalion
Townsville RAN Base Force
B'daberg RAN Stn Base Force

[Cap Mandrake]

Louisville (also damaged) made a run for Sydney but the WJD carriers have sprinted south of Brisbane during the night.
I knew this was a risk but Brisbane isn't really safe either.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Sydney at 90,167

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 30 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 11
D3A1 Val x 9

Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 4

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 3 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
CA Louisville, Bomb hits 1

[Cap Mandrake]

Pensacola tries to make Brisbane from Bundaberg. Some AKL's are driving around to attract bombers...but Pensacola attracts the most and is sunk.
We at least manage to shoot down some carrier planes.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Brisbane at 96,160

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 26 NM, estimated altitude 2,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 11
B5N2 Kate x 22
D3A1 Val x 13

Allied aircraft
P-39D Airacobra x 28
P-40E Warhawk x 3

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 5 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed
D3A1 Val: 2 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
CA Pensacola, Bomb hits 11, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Elcano, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
xAKL Nevadan, Bomb hits 6, and is sunk
xAKL Prusa, Bomb hits 7, and is sunk
xAKL Bidelia, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk

[Cap Mandrake]

Achilles (damaged) is also trying to make Sydney. Bah.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Newcastle at 94,166

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 11
B5N2 Kate x 27
D3A1 Val x 26

Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 2 damaged
D3A1 Val: 4 damaged

Allied Ships
CL Achilles, Bomb hits 10, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Nisqually, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Yunnan, Bomb hits 7, and is sunk

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Oh sure. Everyone laughs at the kids getting beat up instead of stepping in to help.

***********January 8, 1942(e)**********

More ass kicking.

Help with what? The ass kicking? Alright...sounds weird, but whatever...

[Cap Mandrake]

We just missed a big score here. Not sure why they came in so close to Brisbane with such a crappy CAP over their carriers.
Splashes all over the place.


Morning Air attack on TF, near Port Macquarie at 95,164

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid detected at 36 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 16 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 21

Allied aircraft
Wirraway x 3
P-39D Airacobra x 18
SBD-1 Dauntless x 16

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Wirraway: 1 damaged
P-39D Airacobra: 4 destroyed
SBD-1 Dauntless: 6 destroyed, 5 damaged
SBD-1 Dauntless: 1 destroyed by flak

Japanese Ships
CV Soryu
CV Shokaku

[Cap Mandrake]

Stragglers. Of course, a Wirraway from 10,000 feet is not that big a threat...but the SBD sure are.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Port Macquarie at 95,164

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid detected at 34 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 10

Allied aircraft
Wirraway x 5
P-39D Airacobra x 7

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Wirraway: 4 damaged

Japanese Ships
CV Shokaku

Aircraft Attacking:
5 x Wirraway bombing from 10000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 100 lb GP Bomb


B-26's have a go.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Port Macquarie at 95,164

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 3

Allied aircraft
B-26 Marauder x 7
P-39D Airacobra x 6
P-40E Warhawk x 1

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
CV Zuikaku
CV Soryu