Bring me the head of Diego Garcia...and the Mayor of Addu Atoll too!

[Cap Mandrake]

And...

[Cap Mandrake]

I wonder how the PT boat crew recruitment program is going?

[Cap Mandrake]

Jap sub losses since October (not all pertain to the PH operations and should be taken with a grain of saltwater):

[BBfanboy]

Wow! Austrailia has the makings of a "Great Barrier Artificial Reef" off the NW coast.
You have sunk a lot of his xAKs - any idea if he is getting short? If he is letting remote islands starve to scrape up merchies for PH he might be in big trouble with a few more losses.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy
You have sunk a lot of his xAKs - any idea if he is getting short?

Very doubtful, particularly under scenario 2. xAKs are in surplus in the IJN OOB.

Other than the lopsided Allied cruiser losses (and somewhat meaningless PTs and small combatants), however, it's a tit-for-tat war of attrition up there. This sort of thing plays into the Allied hands in the long run, of course.

[Cap Mandrake]

*******11th Meeting, Plenary Interagency Planning Committee For the Operation that Shall Not Be Named (PIPCOSNOBEN), Brisbane, Dec. 6, 1942(c)*******

Lt. Gen. Doubleday, SWPAC PIPCOSNOBEN Liason: ...Right, now to agena item 242B, minefield on Bathurst. It seems we have an opportunity to purchase a minefield map of Bathurst?

Col. Edson, SouPac: Excuse me General, did you just say "purchase"?

Lt. Gen. Doubleday, SWPAC PIPCOSNOBEN Liason: Yes...<looks at notes>...a certain M&M Enterprises, Defensive Fortifications Division.

Col. Edson, SouPac: Sir, am I to understand these are the plans to Jap defenses that have come into the possession of a Western contractor?

Lt. Gen. Doubleday, SWPAC PIPCOSNOBEN Liason: No, I don't think so.

Col. Edson, SouPac: Ah, perhaps old plans to Australian defences?

Lt. Gen. Doubleday, SWPAC PIPCOSNOBEN Liason: No, I rather think they are more recent. In fact...<looks at document> ...it seems there is a 20% discount if we act today, before the minefield is completely lain.

Col. Edson, SouPac: Oh, Dear God..............

[sprior]

Pongoes peril at Port Hedland. More Bully beef! AK Ipswitch's crew will have many, many beers bought for them:

[sprior]

I love the smell of burning Betties in the morning, it smells like victory:

[Crackaces]

I love the smell of burning Betties in the morning, it smells like victory:

Or Bully Beef cooked in the can over an open flame .. [;)]

[witpqs]

32nd ID is looking downright dangerous again... well, sort of.

[derp]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

32nd ID is looking downright dangerous again... well, sort of.

Dangerous? I don't think anything that can be blown over by a stiff breeze really counts as dangerous...

[Cap Mandrake]

*****************32nd ID Div. HQ, Port Hedrand, Dec. 6, 1942**************

Div CO: Right, in light of our recent TO&E increase, I am ordering a realignment of divisional boundaries as of 02:00 tonight. Sgt. Bonebrake's squad will move leftward 25 yds to that clump of bushes over there and Sgt. Allison's squad will remain in their current positions. The Ma Duece stays where it is and I want Cpl. Townsend and two of your best men for divisonal reserve and to man the 81 mm. Lefkowitz stays with me as Division G2 and cook. Right, any questions?

[perkinh]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

*****************32nd ID Div. HQ, Port Hedrand, Dec. 6, 1942**************

Div CO: Right, in light of our recent TO&E increase, I am ordering a realignment of divisional boundaries as of 02:00 tonight. Sgt. Bonebrake's squad will move leftward 25 yds to that clump of bushes over there and Sgt. Allison's squad will remain in their current positions. The Ma Duece stays where it is and I want Cpl. Townsend and two of your best men for divisonal reserve and to man the 81 mm. Lefkowitz stays with me as Division G2 and cook. Right, any questions?

On the bright side.

Latrine duty shouldn't be too bad.

[sprior]

latrine duty shouldn't be too bad.

What, 15,000 troops with a combat value of 18? What do you think the other 14,982 are doing...

[Moondawggie]

ORIGINAL: sprior

latrine duty shouldn't be too bad.

What, 15,000 troops with a combat value of 18? What do you think the other 14,982 are doing...

Well put, Lord Admiral Sir!

Better place some Immodium AD onto the load-up manifest for the the next PH transport run...or even send some ammo along with the replacement berets?

[Reg]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Allied Ships
AM Ipswitch

Good Lord, haven't they fixed that typo yet......

http://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Ipswich_(I)

[Cap Mandrake]

************Dec 7 (Pearl Harbor Day East of the date line and time to pick up the Imperiar Wizard at Port Hedrand) 1942(c)************

Oz: We send in more AK's to PH, this time with a surface escort. The Betty and Nells come out to play (from Wyndham and Timor I suspect). One breaks through and hits Mahout.


Morning Air attack on TF, near Port Hedland at 57,129

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 37 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G3M2 Nell x 23
G4M1 Betty x 6



Allied aircraft
P-38F Lightning x 2
P-38G Lightning x 2
F4F-4 Wildcat x 5


Japanese aircraft losses
G3M2 Nell: 3 destroyed, 3 damaged
G3M2 Nell: 1 destroyed by flak

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
xAK Glenaffric
xAK Mahout, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
CL Honolulu
xAK Beltana
DD Arunta

[Cap Mandrake]

In the afternoon they come back and find and sink Honolulu [:(]

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Port Hedland at 57,129

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 35 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G3M2 Nell x 9
G4M1 Betty x 9



Allied aircraft
P-38F Lightning x 2
P-38G Lightning x 2
F4F-4 Wildcat x 5


Japanese aircraft losses
G3M2 Nell: 3 destroyed, 1 damaged
G4M1 Betty: 4 destroyed, 2 damaged

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
CL Honolulu, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Arunta
xAK Mahout, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Mahsud

Supply does get through to the troops at PH but a cost is paid. The supplies will be needed.


Good flying weather and PH gets pounded from Carnarvon and Meekathara. Perhaps 500 Jap casualties on the ground plus damage to the airfield at Broome and PH. The effort at attrittion and disruption pays off because JJ is seriously ticked off and shock attacks at PH:

Ground combat at Port Hedland (57,129)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 37713 troops, 424 guns, 168 vehicles, Assault Value = 709

Defending force 17655 troops, 481 guns, 392 vehicles, Assault Value = 334

Japanese adjusted assault: 392

Allied adjusted defense: 183

Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: disruption(-), experience(-)
Attacker: shock(+), disruption(-)

Japanese ground losses:
2483 casualties reported
Squads: 17 destroyed, 94 disabled
Non Combat: 67 destroyed, 12 disabled
Engineers: 41 destroyed, 23 disabled
Guns lost 16 (9 destroyed, 7 disabled)
Vehicles lost 13 (9 destroyed, 4 disabled)


Allied ground losses:
407 casualties reported
Squads: 6 destroyed, 7 disabled
Non Combat: 6 destroyed, 93 disabled
Engineers: 17 destroyed, 5 disabled
Guns lost 21 (15 destroyed, 6 disabled)
Vehicles lost 25 (4 destroyed, 21 disabled)


Assaulting units:
21st Ind. Engineer Regiment
6th Guards Division
77th Infantry Regiment
24th Infantry Regiment
4th Ind. Engineer Regiment
65th Brigade
5th Division
66th Infantry Group
56th Engineer Regiment
Yokosuka Assault SNLF /2
2nd Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
9th Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
9th Field AF Construction Battalion
22nd Air Flotilla
30th Fld AA Gun Co
16th Army
4th Infantry Regiment
51st JNAF AF Unit

Defending units:
22nd (East African) Brigade
32nd Infantry Division
2nd British Division
10th USN Naval Construction Battalion
7th RAN Base Force
34th Aviation Base Force
14th USN Naval Construction Battalion
2nd Medium Regiment



6:1 casualties and it took a shock attack to achieve 2:1 attack ratio.

My guess is they won't try that again for a bit. Exmouth should be level 3 in a day or two so we can add the Beauforts to the attacks on PH. The "relief" force from Exmouth (a couple of coys of M-10's and a Bn or so of 2nd Div that got separated) is getting closer to PH

[Cap Mandrake]

Dobo: JJ tries to come ashore again at Dobo and is driven off by the PT boats. The skipper of Yugiri may wan't to go into a different line of work.


Night Time Surface Combat, near Dobo at 83,116, Range 2,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Yugiri
PB Kyo Maru #11
PB Shonan Maru #1, Shell hits 1
AK Hirokawa Maru, Shell hits 1
AK Sagami Maru
AK Tosan Maru, Shell hits 1
xAK Kansai Maru, Shell hits 2
xAK Kashii Maru, Shell hits 2
xAK Keihuku Maru
xAK Taian Maru
xAK Kizan Maru
xAK Kaimei Maru
xAK Miyadono Maru, Shell hits 1
xAK Tyoyo Maru
xAK Ryusei Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
xAK Kaisyo Maru, Shell hits 2
xAK Madras Maru
xAK Unyo Maru #2

Allied Ships
PT-23
PT-24
PT-26, Shell hits 1
PT-119
PT-123

Japanese ground losses:
122 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 7 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

One AK sunk and 122 Shinto Boys in the drink...Banzai!

[Cap Mandrake]

Also, an S boat does violence to a Maru in the Dobo landing force. More Shinto Boys swimming with the Oceanic White Tips. Banza!

Submarine attack near Dobo at 83,116

Japanese Ships
xAK Ryusei Maru, Shell hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS S-30, hits 1

Japanese ground losses:
18 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

When the sun comes up, the Dobo landing force comes back for more but the intrepid PT boats have not left their station and prevent a landing for a SECOND day! Evidently JJ surface strength in the are is very weak. There is no SCTF, just a single CVE? NW of Dobo. Jap Sallys and Helens from Sorong? and Ambon? attack the ground troops at Dobo with moderate success. The airfield is building at about 20% per day, so it should be ready in about 2 more days.