Letters from a Prime Minister

[Mike McCreery]

Compelling as always ;]

[Major Shane]

+1

[1275psi]

May 3rd

Japanese forces continue to storm ashore at milne bay, two divisions strong

Radio intel places 2 more headed for Australia, and finally we know where everyone is

Not that that helps much.

Japanese fighters sweep Kalgoorlie, and nothing can rise to meet them
Japanese fighters sweep Port Moresby, and nothing can rise to meet them.....
In central China, the last fighters that do rise, will never get to rise again.....

[1275psi]

May 4th

Headquarters Kalgoorlie
Blamey studies the reports, waves away a the ever present flies, and looks around the table.

The leaders of the two divisions now trapped in the town look back at him. Their eyes
do not give away anything. Blamey, searches them in return

They have not lost faith in me yet. Nor in themselves. I do believe the harder
things get, the harder they will fight.

And fight hard we will.

"Gentlemen, I have never been one to gild the lilly, I am not going to stop now.
Here is the situation as I read it".
He leans towards the rough table that serves for the map, and begins pointing.
"The Nips have put a division east of us, and several tank regiments. Another is sitting on its arse
south of here. First Australian, 3 tank units are slowly pushing west towards us.
5th division is still operating near Albany, tying up nearly all of the other troops here
against us"


Yes men, its grim. That's the medicine. No, if I can, a little sugar.

"3 American divisions are now in country, another at sea. First Corp , a British division is also at sea,
whereabouts unknown There are now Naval forces at Adelaide. How the American units can
help us I have not a clue. "

He points to the Indian ocean.
"Somewhere in that lot, the battle may be decided. The Prime Minister tells me that the
Allied carriers are delayed, or some crud, another week at least before the 1st corp can come into theatre"

he lets that sink in.
Another week. He can see minds calculating. A week in theatre, several to arrive. Can we
hold?

Blamey looks them in the eye, again. Now for the question
"Prime Minister wants us to try to break out east.........your opinions"

"F&*(k that"

Easy enough then. We try to hold on.

Or leave our bones in this red, red dust.

[1275psi]

4th May

75th squadron scrapes together 4 fighters, and sends them aloft.
The Japs send 80 plus, lose 1, shoot down 2 of the Kittys.

Jack does not fly, which does not surprise him, Turnball is only sending up his very best
. jack is not one of them.


In PNG, beau fighters from Port Moresby hit hard transports unloading at Milne bay.
But the base is in big trouble, the Japs swarm ashore, swim ashore, plunge into the jungle,
headed no doubt towards the airfield oh so close to completion.
The commander of the 3rd Aussie brigade contemplates the hell of a forced march towards
Port Moresby.

[1275psi]

To
The President
from
Frank Ford

Mr President.
Many thanks for the letters of support and encouragement. I feel almost entirely
alone at this time, many here in this country are placing full blame for our
current situation firmly on my shoulders.
This I am willing to bare, as long as the United States stands behind us, there will always
be hope.

Your Divisions are arriving now in country.
Your General, Mac Aurthur??, a strange chap, but one I think is willing to fight, already
has plans for them.
He intends to try to hold Port Moresby, and to risk the rest in relieving Kalgoorlie,
subject to the Navy securing the seas.

If this does not occur, at least the East can now be held, base for the long hoped for
return march towards Japan.

We face a great many problems, especially in fuel, but continue to fight on.

I will pray for your Admirals, 1st Corp, and for the defeat of the vermin in our Land.

Yours Frank Ford



To Frank
from
POTUS

I have ordered the Admiral in charge of the forthcoming operations to risk all.
Ships can, and will eventually be replaced.
Freedom, once lost, is not so easily re built.

If it takes every ship of the united states fleet, we will save your country.

[1275psi]

5th May
Indian Air HQ

"Commander, your new advisor, a Squadron leader Graham"
"Öh, welcome Commander.......I hear you copped a blighty over Burma, coming along
alright is it?"
Graham nods "Ïts coming along fine Sir, three months and I should be flying again"
The Air Commander smiles, without warmth, a reflex action born of so many wounded men
paraded before him over so many years.
He points to the chart on the wall.."This Chittagong mess, what do you think?"
Squadron leader Graham does not hesitate.
He is a large man, with a voice to match.
"Sir, do you really know just how many planes we have, pilots too, just itching to
pound that snakes head?......if it flies, give it a bomb, and set em to work........."

[1275psi]

May 6th

Air India launches its first "big effort"

To the surprise of many, it begins well, and as fighter after fighter sweeps over Chittagong
un apposed, confidence rises.

The bombers follow. Hudsons, beaforts, Wellingtons.
Martins, refugees from the disasters of January also fly.
21st division is the target.

Losses are light. The Japanese are absent.

Days end, and the Allies assess the day.
Squadron Leader Graham turns to OIC Air India.
"Ï give the Nips a week before we get a reaction., anyone care to take a bet?"

Regretfully, he is going to lose his money.

[1275psi]

6th of may

From
Prime Minister
to
General Blamey

I have just heard the Japanese are claiming that Milne Bay has fallen

Can you please explain to me, in terms that even a bloody child can explain,
how I can explain this as well as Kalgoorlie to the Australian people!

Ford

[1275psi]

(posts have been slow and difficult , I am in the process of trying to change jobs (very distracting)

6th May

To
1st Army HQ, General Blamey
From
1st Division

Regret to inform you 2/6th, 2/5th, 2/9th armoured units were heavily repulsed 80 miles
to your East this morning.
18th Division appears to stand in our way
Am assessing damage done
Stop


In the sudden silence of 1st Army HQ, one clearly hears the single whispered word of the General

"F87K!

[1275psi]

May 7th

Gasping for breath against the crushing G's, Jack banks the Kittyhawk hard left, wings almost vertical.
An Oscar fills his mirror, another dances in the same turn a hundred yards ahead

Nearly a dozen fighters, 6 a side, wheel in a circle of death.

Time slows, Jack can feel every inch of himself, he feels the seat hard against his arse, he
can feel his right elbow jammed against the cockpit side. His right foot dances on the rudder, top
ruddering, the rudder now an elevator, fighting to hold the nose up, a dance of inches.
He grips the stick, feels every movement of it, feels through to the controls, feels his inputs,
feels the air rushing over the ailerons, feels every bounce of the hot air they slice through.
The engine snarls, bellows, roars.
He does not hear it at all.

The Oscar , still banked hard, climbs across his canopy, sliding up over his left shoulder,
he has no choice, the Kitty is at the limits of its physics, he can't keep up, can't match the yellow barsted,

knows, he is already rolling over to stoop onto him.
Jack savagely reefs the throttle back, kicks full left rudder, his world turning upside down, the
nose pulling down, the dive away nearly vertical.

The following Oscar hammers past, a fleeting shadow......


Jack spins her down, one, two, full opposite rudder, stick forward, now back.....Jesus, where
am I?

Alone


Shortly later he lands, there are no Kangaroos here to worry about anymore, just a new carpet of craters.

He lands, sweat filled, panting, dry.
6 have gone up.
4 return

[1275psi]

7th of May

Allied ships, a cruiser, 3 destroyers, bombard Esprance, destroying a good handful of
light bombers.

A small start

The allied Navy is now in the great Australian Bight.
The question is, to what strength, the Japanese?

It will cost much blood, to find out

[1275psi]

May 8th
HMAS Napier
West of Bombay

John Ford leans against the sights, takes his bearing. Saratoga fills the cross hairs, nicely
positioned
"Revolutions 120"
"revolutions 120 rung down and repeated sir"
"Very good"

Very good. Very good indeed. They have sailed at last.
Delay after delay, after bloody delay.
But like a man finally shedding his thick winter coat, they are free on the seas again, free to run, to
hunt, to fight.

A long journey awaits, a journey with no certain return.
It does not matter
They have sailed at last.

[1275psi]

May 9th

LT Jackson hurries towards Enterprises bridge.
The signal burns hot in his hand.

How will the Admiral react to THIS???


"From
Alaska Command
to
All

Enemy CARDIV 5 is active and attacking convoy 300 miles due East Kodiac
Can confirm carriers Shokaku, Zuikaku, Shoho involved.

[1275psi]

May 10th

The Japanese bomb Kalgoorlie again.
Nothing rises to defend. There are no runners left today.

A third British carrier enters the Indian ocean, it too heads towards Colombo to
join the growing fleet gathering there.

On paper this is a growing fleet, soon to be 7 carriers strong. But there are many
hidden weaknesses, some that only the Commands know, and will never admit to their men.
Their planes are obviously inferior. So are the pilots.
Fuel is going to be a very big problem.

The mission ahead has multiple objectives, locate the enemy fleet, defeat it.
Get the convoys through to Australia, get them ashore.

A difficult mission.
But it has to be done.
Things are going to hell in the Australian outback.

[1275psi]

12 May

Jack spends the day holed up in his slit trench as the Japanese bomb his airfield un opposed
Jeffery limps up a gangway in Los Angeles, boarding one of the "presidents", and begins the
long, long journey home.
John guides Napier back into Colombo harbour, Yorktown simply must receive further repairs
before the great journey south can begin
And Jason spends yet another day at sea, as his transport steams steadily east from the Cape.

Their Father, spends half the day doing what he seems to spend every day doing: yelling insults
at his wife.............

She, in return, gives back as well as she receives.

Australia is a slow motion car wreck, horrible to look at, compelling all the same.
It can't get any worse, can it?


Of course it can

[british exil]

Really enjoying the story.
Not wanting to disturb the thread too much.
Is it possible to reveal the what the allied plan for Australia was, how the Japs seem to have foiled the plan and how it can be avoided? If at all possible, is there any hope?!

What have been the losses, down there in Western Australia? It does seem that it is a real nightmare.
If John is putting so much pressure in this sector, is there a sector where you are faring better?

Got my fingers crossed and following all the newsreels.
This is real nail bitting stuff.
(Your "The little ship that could." seems like a holiday cruise.

Mat

[1275psi]

May 12th

North Of Batavia.

Their homeland has been crushed by the Nazi's.
Japan has destroyed their colony in the Indies, burnt their homes, interned their families, tortured
and shot any that have tried to resist.
But the crew of this Dutch SS still resist.

Nobody will see this attack. No report will reach allied ears, only, years later, will the truth
come out.
In the middle of the Java sea, currently a Japanese lake, CVL Ryujo sails.
The Dutch, against all odds, attack.
They resist still


2 Torpedoes slam the little carrier, a mountain of fire will erupt.
The counter attack is massive, and lethal.

For their families, their homes, their lands, to the very last, these Dutchmen will resist........

[1275psi]

The allies try to sail a small convoy across the Great Australian bite, seeking, maybe, a chance to
land at Esperance.

Miss Betty bites, sinking two loaded transports.

The Japanese are alerted. They come out to fight.
Hornet awaits them.

[1275psi]

12 May
Parliament house.
Tony is busy with correspondence, fighting back the frustration of dealing with
his constitute, wondering just how did some of these bloody voters think he could achieve
what they wanted whilst he was in opposition, especially now, in this time of crises?

Grazing and water rights?, now?......with half the country in Japanese hands, the rest swarming
with Americans?, who in Melbourne this week seemed to have done more damage than any Japanese bombing raid could.

He sighs, reaches for the next letter........apparently idea number 237 for a wonder weapon
"if only financed properly could......"
There is a knock on the door, his secretary.
"Minister, somethings up, the Prime Minister is calling for a National broadcast"

For a moment his heart freezes........the horrible thought "surrender?" flashes through him......
no, Frank would never.......
"Apparently the word is he's going to call for a National Government, and a war cabinet...."


Gently Tony places the letter down, its contents forgotten. Deep satisfaction fills him.
Late, very late, maybe even too late......but at last, at last to maybe swing this disaster around.