Fear and Loathing in the Pacific (3x3 MPBEM)

[Grotius]

So is Tom Hunter going to be joining the WITP team? And, more importantly, how DID he get those forces out of Malaya? I've read and re-read that section of your AAR a couple times and I'm still not quite sure how he managed it.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Grotius

So is Tom Hunter going to be joining the WITP team? And, more importantly, how DID he get those forces out of Malaya? I've read and re-read that section of your AAR a couple times and I'm still not quite sure how he managed it.

Grotius;

No, I don't think Tom is joining the WITP team..that was tongue in cheek [:)] Those were some of his reasons for leaving.

As to the evacuation of Malaya, it has been a while but I think I can summarize:

It required a number of fumbles, IMHO, on the Japanese part, and a number of successful gambles and remarkably well-executed plans on our part:

1) Japs invade Kuantan..it falls fast of course..but they probably should have pursued more agressively.

2) Jap troopships and AK's are inadequately escorted allowing the RAF in Malaya to get some kills and quickly gain some experience.

3) Singapore airfields are not sufficiently shut down for much too long, and when they finally are, they allow us to use Johore for too long.

4) They try the Mersing gambit, but there initial landing is disrupted by swordfish from Singapore (and whatever antiques were available). The two Aussie brigade rush to the scene holding onto the town. More troops and transports come in and are again pounded by air. It seems all their Zeroes are in Rangoon or the South Pacific. When there is a CAP, it is mainly Oscars.

5) Meanwhile, Johore is building up and troops are resting. When Mersing is no longer defensible, the Aussies retreat to Johore in moderately good shape.

6) Batavia is built up to level 4 airfield and we move AV units from all over Java. We scrounge the Pacific for B-17's and LB-30, assembling about 100 (including LB-30's and B-17C's). They are vulnerable, because of our crappy fighters in Java, but they remain undiscovered until they are unleased on Kuantan (with a fighter sweep from Johore as I recall). The effect is fantastic, catching dozens of Jap bombers on the ground. For a while, the Japs evacuate Kuantan airfield. After a few days of bombing at least half the bombers are disabled and it takes weeks to get them all repaired..but it was worth it.

7) Zuiho is sunk by swordfish..does this make them resistent to commit the carriers to the area?

8) The RN carriers and BB's, plus transports assemble in the Indian Ocean, waiting for the right time.

9) In the second week of January, the Japs attack Singapore by sea..and it actually works [X(] All of our dedicated infantry is in Johore, holding the line against 60,000 Japs who are besieging the town. Only the CD unit, some AV Engineers and Malaya HQ is in Singapore. Singapore is going to fall soon. Time to MOVE!

10) Wait..but what about the Jap carriers you say? Good point. Four Jap carriers (KB)have just declared themselves off the Northern coast of Oz..killing a bunch of our AK's. They need fuel. 2 Jap CV's were spotted in the Coral Sea 4 days prior. They are not to be seen now..but they cant make it to the South China Sea in time. We can account for 6 fleet carriers and the Zuiho. These we will not have to fight.

11) The bombers from Batavia shut down Kuantan again. Some sacrificial fighters deploy to Johore to fly CAP. The cariers and BB's rush in along with the transports. We start loading the troops at Johore. The Japs see what is happening of course and decide to shock attack Johore on the second day, but there are too many troops left and they are beat back badly. The loading at
Johore takes about 3 days. Concurrent with this, we send in an emergency convoy to Singapore which gets out some of the Malaya HQ. The Japs begin to redeploy air to the area but it is too late. They are clearly surprised by the move.

12) About 3000 commonwealth troops are trapped in Johore and about 10,00 in Singapore. Most of the fighters get out of Johore.

13) We lose 1 or 2 CL's and a CA (which is in port and is scuttled when Singapore falls)..perhaps 2 or 3 transports to subs and air. The carriers are undamaged.

14) The whole mess makes it back to Batavia, from where most of the troops are evacuated to SE Asia. Only the Aussie brigades stay behind...they later prove to be crucial in the defense of Palembang (which is still in Allied hands in late July).

[Grotius]

Wow, thanks for the detailed summary. Awesome work! I take it that Betties and Nells didn't take too big a toll on the evacuating transports?

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Grotius

Wow, thanks for the detailed summary. Awesome work! I take it that Betties and Nells didn't take too big a toll on the evacuating transports?

No they did not. During the loading at Johore there was a RAF (or perhaps AVG?) CAP from the damaged field itself, plus Brewsters flying LRCAP from Sumatra. during movment to Batavia there was a CAP from the RN carriers plus LRCAP from Palembang. Most importantly Kuantan was shut down in a timely raid and I think Khota Bahru had inadequate AV support. Pontianak was not level 4 yet. As a consequence, Jap bombers had to fly from Kuching and Indochina, thus taking all the Sallys out of the equation. Even those raids were inadequately escorted with Zeroes and were jumped by P-40's of the AVG.

It was our suspicion that inadequate coordination of resources between team members of the Jap team hampered their response, whereas, even though the evacuation took place right at a "seam" in our command, we had good coordination.

In the event, it took the AVG (which had been jealously guarded), the entire RN in SE Asia, all of our heavy bombers (stripped from Pearl, Noumea, Oz, even SE Asia and NorthPac) and almost all the transports in the Indian Ocean basin. Bombers started moving from Alaska 2 1/2 weeks before our planned jump off date. AV units started moving to Batavia 2 weeks before. We purposely conducted no recon on the target airfields and the AVG kept it's head down until H-Hour.

In the event, we had to pull the trigger a couple of days early because of the emergency at Singapore, so all of our bombers werent ready.

[Grotius]

Impressive!

[USSAmerica]

I have to agree! That op was successful due to some serious planning and preparation done long before it was actually needed.

I also have to say that this AAR is the most entertaining thing I've read in a long, long time! [&o] Cap, your writing and graphics are just amazing. (Maps, maps, maps, I love maps! [:D]) Even if you and your team mates were getting blown away in the game, this would be a great read. I've killed several boring hours at work this week reading the history of your war. Now, I have to wait for dribbles as they actually happen, just like everyone else. [:(]

My hat's off to you! [8D]

[Terminus]

Heh, I took my hat off to this AAR so long ago, I can't remember where I put it...[8D]

[Cap Mandrake]

Thx USS America...btw

US 32nd Inf Div and 7th Aus Inf Div are fixin' to pound the defenders of Gili Gili

[Knavey]

Ugg...the cesspool that is Gili Gili.

Everyone wants it, except for the soldiers that are assigned there. Can't wait until Milo tries to make it a Malaria free zone to improve morale and make a buck!

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Knavey

Ugg...the cesspool that is Gili Gili.

Everyone wants it, except for the soldiers that are assigned there. Can't wait until Milo tries to make it a Malaria free zone to improve morale and make a buck!

Mr. Minderbinder is a trifle indisposed at the present time. [;)]

[Cap Mandrake]

..

[rtrapasso]

[:D][:D][:D]

i am awaiting the (maybe) day that you explain how the dogs teeth came to resemble Yosarrian's...[:'(] (which was a good thing esp. after the dental police almost nabbed Y.)[;)]

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso

[:D][:D][:D]

i am awaiting the (maybe) day that you explain how the dogs teeth came to resemble Yosarrian's...[:'(] (which was a good thing esp. after the dental police almost nabbed Y.)[;)]

I think it is a case of structural homology among mammals and no small dose of bad luck for Tojo and good luck for Yossarian. This was meant to symbolize the apparent randomness of death in war and the sense of guilt among the survivors. The author had no intent to defame Armenians or any other peoples of the trans-Caucasus or Asia Minor. [;)]

[Cap Mandrake]

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[Cap Mandrake]

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[rtrapasso]

Great stuff!! (as usual)

So, is the battle for the DEI still ongoing? Are the Allies in full counteroffensive mode, or is this just an opportunistic attack taking advantage of the Japanese preoccupation in the DEI (or, is it DIE for the Japanese...[:'(])??

[rtrapasso]

I think it is a case of structural homology among mammals and no small dose of bad luck for Tojo and good luck for Yossarian. This was meant to symbolize the apparent randomness of death in war and the sense of guilt among the survivors. The author had no intent to defame Armenians or any other peoples of the trans-Caucasus or Asia Minor.

i though maybe Tojo was one really strange looking dog...[X(][:'(][:D]

[Cap Mandrake]

Koepang is the center of action the DEI now..lots of resources being thrown at it from both sides. I will post something later.

[rtrapasso]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Koepang is the center of action the DEI now..lots of resources being thrown at it from both sides. I will post something later.

LOL!![:D][:D][:D]

EDIT: The "security" at my computer won't allow me to use the "more smileys"...[8|]

[Cap Mandrake]

[;)]