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

[perkinh]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I am determined to land on Mindanao if just for the entertainment value and I don't have the patience to wait for the intermediate bases to be built up. Here is the plan. It is now D-Day -2

D-Day -1 ............Sea Bees begin embarkation at Ternate for transport via LCT to Dejangas. A different Bn of Sea Bees lands at friendly dot hex of Sangi (160 mi from Djangas) and begins to chop down the taro plants for a quick grass strip. this will be used to provide LRCAP over Djangas until the airway there can be ready. elemetns of RCT at Boela begin emarkation aboard APD's for fast transport to Djangas.

D Day ...........Air drop Djangas (503rd PIR from Ternate). Djangas falls as there is no garrison.

D-Day +1/2......First Sea Bees arrive Djangas with a fleet minesweeper for in-course refueling and PT boats for escort. There can be now air escort as Ternate is too far but that is why we an extra "motivational" push is being made. If they have a sufficient garrison at Davao, JJ may dispatch part of the garrison to march part of the garrison to Djangas. Unless it is armor, I don't think it can be there until D-Day +7 at a minimum. Construction begins on airstrip at Djangas.

Night D-Day 2/3........Fast transport taffy from Boela arrives with perhaps a Bn of infantry but light on heavy weapons.

D-Day +3......Remainder Sea Bee bn arrives Djangas by LCT along with some Beach Engineers. Air supply drops from Ternate.

D-Day +5......Airstrip ready at Sangi (maybe). First, low tonnage AK's arrive Djangas with amphbious supply loads. LRCAP from Sangi. CD guns arrive Sangi. Remainder of RCT arrives via amphibious load. CL/DD SCTF on station at Djangas. JJ airfield at Davao is degraded somehow...haven't quite worked that out. Maybe B-25's from Ternate plus two nelwy arrived USN fast BB's which will motor up from Sydney.


D-Day +6/7....Airstrip ready Djangas. Camel nose in tent. Next stop Cotobato and Jolo.


What could go wrong?

Nothing....sounds like a great plan, and we all know everything goes as planned.

[Itdepends]

Don't you need to get an airfield to Lvl 2 before providing LRCAP?

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Itdepends

Don't you need to get an airfield to Lvl 2 before providing LRCAP?

I know you can't do sweeps from a level 1 but I think you can do LRCAP but we need to ask someone who has read the manual. Of course, they may not have drop tanks either and a level one field wont support P-38's or Corsairs for very long. I frequntly send in P-39's or P-40's into a level one field with 500 supplies and no aviation support yet. You can still get a couple of days of CAP out of them before they are disabled.

[Cap Mandrake]

The notion is to keep the pace of advance up so as to forestall a strong defensive network. That's why the Oz-Sundas-PI route is so good. There are so many bases and dot hexes that JJ cant cover eveything. Sangi, for example, was still under Dutch control. [:)]

If you go up through the Marshalls you need APA's and LST's and entire divisions landing at once to overcome the atoll problem.

The regiment or battalion level attacks don't always work...Dobo for eg.....but even there they lost 15,000 ground troops at sea and got another 1 1/2 divisions trapped on Dobo and now bypassed.


We have a window here where the Jap carriers and the BB's and even their Betty fleet were depleted in the fight for Port Hedrand and Darwin. Unitl they show up again, it's full speed ahead.

[witpqs]

Maybe Milo can do something about the CAP, Cap?

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I know you can't do sweeps from a level 1 but I think you can do LRCAP but we need to ask someone who has read the manual. Of course, they may not have drop tanks either and a level one field wont support P-38's or Corsairs for very long.

Aye. 7.2.1.13.1 in the manual (p. 167) details the mission profile limitations of size one airfields.

[Cap Mandrake]

Ever wonder why Sangi is still a green dot after 2 years of war?


******************Sangi Is., Sulawese Sea, Feb 20, 1943(c)******************


<a small group of LCVP's are beached on a pristine strip of sand. USS YMS 324 is off shore, her 20 mm gun sweeps slowly from North to South in case a Jap cruiser shows up. Sea Bees struggle to get their equipment off the sand. A flying boat of German design is 200 yds up the beach. A lone man in Robinson Crusoe style clothing approaches the Sea Bees.>

Lone man in Robinson Crusoe style clothing: Good morning, sir! Lt. Van Meter, KNIL.


Lt. Cmdr Kelly, 36th Naval Construction Bn.: Lt. Cmdr Kelly, USN. <extends hand to shake after a salute> We weren't expecting anyone.


Lone man in Robinson Crusoe style clothing: I can imagine. Welcome to beautiful Sangi.


Lt. Cmdr Kelly, 36th Naval Construction Bn.: Thank you, Lt. Say, I hope you don't mind me asking what you are doing here.


Lone man in Robinson Crusoe style clothing: I'm a Coast watcher, sir. Been here since the second day of the war. That's my flying boat over there. Got in a dogfight with a Mavis and I tried to follow him into an Immelman. Damn near broke loose the port engine. Had to put down here and she has never flown since.


Lt. Cmdr Kelly, 36th Naval Construction Bn.: Ah, I thought coastwatchers were supposed to keep a low profile. How is it the Japs don't know you are here?


Lone man in Robinson Crusoe style clothing: Oh, they do. I work for them. <takes out clipboard> What is that vessel out there?


Lt. Cmdr Kelly, 36th Naval Construction Bn.: You work for the Japs? I thought you were on our side.


Lone man in Robinson Crusoe style clothing: Yes.


Lt. Cmdr Kelly, 36th Naval Construction Bn.: But you just told me you work for the Japs.


Lone man in Robinson Crusoe style clothing: Yes.


Lt. Cmdr Kelly, 36th Naval Construction Bn.: You work for both, then?


Lone man in Robinson Crusoe style clothing: Yes, on contract.


Lt. Cmdr Kelly, 36th Naval Construction Bn.: Look, you can't tell the Japs about us. This is supposed to be secret.


Lone man in Robinson Crusoe style clothing: I'm sorry, Cdr., I have my fiduciary responsibility. You'll have to get SouthPac to buy the "non-disclosure rider" and they need to do it by 11:00 because that is my reporting time.


Lt. Cmdr Kelly, 36th Naval Construction Bn.: Non disclosure rider?


Lone man in Robinson Crusoe style clothing: Yes, have them contact Mr. Minderbinder at the Bali Hai Club. Say, are you going to be needing any aviation fuel? I have a contact in Tarakan.


Lt. Cmdr Kelly, 36th Naval Construction Bn.: Tarakan? Did we take that?.................

[Cap Mandrake]

..

[perkinh]

Come on Lt. Cmdr Kelly....slip him a few notes. We all know these guys are on the take.

[Chickenboy]

Lt. Cmdr Kelly must not have a sidearm handy.

[Onime No Kyo]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Lt. Cmdr Kelly must not have a sidearm handy.

Youre a heartless critter to pull a gun on a guy in tattered remnants of a uniform. [:-]

Come to think of it, that was probably the idea. [X(]

[Cap Mandrake]

*******************Bali Hai Club, Darwin, Feb. 20, 1943(c)*********************


Col. Meriweather, G2, SouPac: I like these with the red and green. Do you have them with blue and white.


Man in fine linen slacks: It's the Crois de Guerre, Colonel. It's authentic silk. I could retrofit blue and white but no way can I have that by tomorrow. I have some Australian parachutes in inventory but I would have to sublet a contract on the dye. 1 week minimum.


Col. Meriweather, G2, SouPac: No good, D-Day is in 2 days.


Man in fine linen slacks: Colonel, I know it's not really my business but why don't you just use bronze stars or something?


Col. Meriweather, G2, SouPac: They don't work any more. It's been 2 years.


Man in fine linen slacks: I hear you man. Well, how many do you need?


Col. Meriweather, G2, SouPac: Five thousand.


Man in fine linen slacks: FIVE THOUSAND! <composes himself> That bad, eh? Colonel for an order of five thousand I'll throw in the non disclosure rider for Sangi.

[Itdepends]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I know you can't do sweeps from a level 1 but I think you can do LRCAP but we need to ask someone who has read the manual. Of course, they may not have drop tanks either and a level one field wont support P-38's or Corsairs for very long.

Aye. 7.2.1.13.1 in the manual (p. 167) details the mission profile limitations of size one airfields.

I say Cap the quality of the advice has gone downhill- or it's an underhanded effort to get us to actually read said manual........

In all seriousness (yes rare for this AAR)- thanks CB- found the reference. Still doesn't "feel" right thought with respect to the game but apparently you can do it (LRCAP from lvl 1)

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Itdepends

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I know you can't do sweeps from a level 1 but I think you can do LRCAP but we need to ask someone who has read the manual. Of course, they may not have drop tanks either and a level one field wont support P-38's or Corsairs for very long.

Aye. 7.2.1.13.1 in the manual (p. 167) details the mission profile limitations of size one airfields.

I say Cap the quality of the advice has gone downhill- or it's an underhanded effort to get us to actually read said manual........

In all seriousness (yes rare for this AAR)- thanks CB- found the reference. Still doesn't "feel" right thought with respect to the game but apparently you can do it (LRCAP from lvl 1)

I also thought you could not do it. I suppose it's allowed because it is a defensive mission.

And this proves that Cap really does read the manual! [:D]

[Cap Mandrake]

Instinct baby, instinct. I can also tell you what a cayote ate in its last 3 meals just from the taste of the scat.

[Cap Mandrake]

*******************Feb. 19/20*******************

Sangi: Evidently the non-disclosure rider went through as 36th Naval Construction Bn. and YMS 324 are not attacked.

Swatow: AKL season is still open apparently. USS Snook, first US warship named in Yiddish.

Sub attack near Swatow at 79,63

Japanese Ships
xAKL Tonegawa Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
PB Shintohoku Maru

Allied Ships
SS Snook

Sulawese Sea: More tankers trying to drain the tanks in Eastern Borneo. Everyone had a whale of a time. This exploding torpedo idea is really cool. We should have thought of this earlier.


Sub attack near Davao at 82,91

Japanese Ships
TK San Clemente Maru, Torpedo hits 1
E Omae

Allied Ships
SS Whale

[Cap Mandrake]

Burma: CAP/sweep battle over the Chindit brigade. We are completely out of Hurricane IIc's

Morning Air attack on Warazup , at 63,41

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 45 NM, estimated altitude 20,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 29



Allied aircraft
Sea Hurricane Ib x 3
Hurricane IIc Trop x 3


No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIc Trop: 1 destroyed

Air raid over Myitkynia. The "little friends" apparently did not get the memo. At least they are having to defend Myitkynia instead of beat up on the Chindits. Time for a P-38 sweep if they have all the decals glued on.


Morning Air attack on Myitkyina , at 64,42

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 45 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 16 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 9
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 11



Allied aircraft
Liberator II x 4
Wellington Ic x 3


No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Liberator II: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
Wellington Ic: 2 destroyed



Runway hits 1

Aircraft Attacking:
2 x Liberator II bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb

[Cap Mandrake]

Oz: We bombed the zombies at Port Hedrand, Derby and Wyndham. There are still 15K or so zombies walking around in the desert SW of Darwin too. We pretty much dont worry about it unless they get close enough to bite. It's really put a crimp, however, on Walkabouts by the aboriginals.

Attu: Private Koval shot Private Jones coming out of the latrine. He thought it was a grizzly but really, Jones just ate some walrus sausage that didnt agree with him. It seems Pvt Jones will be OK but the CO banned all trading with the Innuit. It's so cold in February you can't tell when the walrus sausage has gone bad.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Sulawese Sea: More tankers trying to drain the tanks in Eastern Borneo. Everyone had a whale of a time. This exploding torpedo idea is really cool. We should have thought of this earlier.


Sub attack near Davao at 82,91

Japanese Ships
TK San Clemente Maru, Torpedo hits 1
E Omae

Allied Ships
SS Whale

On second thought, I am going to cancel that trip to go whale watching from San Clemente ....

[sprior]

It's really put a crimp, however, on Walkabouts by the aboriginals.

or Jenny Agutter