Matrix Games Forums

Im just wondering if this is a mistake.

From the info I have Nauru island was captured by the Japs in 5/42.
The game has the allies in possession of the island from the start.
Who should really have possession?

What is your source? My info shows that Nauru was still being shelled in Mid August'42.

Pacwar manuel:D

Timeline that is.

Ah here we go.............Although they were expected sooner, a force of 300 Japanese landed on Nauru on August 26, 1942, and immediately rounded up the remaining Europeans and made them prisoners. The local Nauruans (numbering some 1,850 in all), although still allowed the freedom of the island, were placed on food rations and made to bow to all Japanese.
http://166.122.164.43/archive/2000/April/04-03-19.htm

"...one of the few places in the world that was attacked by both the Germans and Japanese during the war.":eek:




This is new to me.


Many thanks Raverdave.


I looked on the net but was having trouble finding a site with a history.

Thanks again.

Pacificwrecks has a fairly detailed page on Nauru.. Seems to suggest the Japanese occupied it in 1940 and deported all the natives to Truk.

http://www.pacificwrecks.com/provinces/nauru.html

Raverdave;


Fascinating story about Nauru! If I understand its like this: some Europeans (British) want to mine phosphate to make bombs or fertilizer or something, but it's hard work for low pay so they bring in a bunch of Asians (Chinese). Now some new Europeans (Germans) who want to kill the first Europeans (British) sail half way around the world and pretend to be Asians (Japanese). Soon, however, some Asians (Japanese) who aren't pretending to be anything but are friends of the second Europeans who were pretending to be Japanese, come to the Island to kill the first Europeans (British). But some other Europeans (French) who only a short time before were trying to kill the second Europeans (Germans) but now like everyobdy because they are neutral come to rescue the first Europeans (British) and the first Asians (Chinese) before the second Asians (Japanese) get there. Some of the first Europeans (British) get away but the rest are captured and are treated much worse than the first Asians (Chinese). The second Asians (Japanese) want to build an Airfield so that they can kill the First Europeans (British) more easily. But the work is hard and the pay is low so they bring a third bunch of Asians (Koreans) to work on the airfield. The second Asians (Japanese) treat the third Asians (Koreans) worse than the first Europeans (British) treated the first Asians (Chinese), who aren't even on the Island anymore. Well, the work is so hard that the second Asians (Japanese) make slaves of the people who lived on the island (not really Asians or Europeans)before the first Europeans (British) decided to mine phosphate to make bombs. Needless to say, the Non-Asians/Non-Europeans (Naurans) aren't treated very well either. Then another group of Non-Asians/Non-Europeans (Americans) who, on the whole, look like Europeans (but aren't) use some of the bombs made by the phosphate on the island to try to kill some of the second Asians (Japanese). Now the second Non-Asians/non-Europeans (Americans) are friends of the first Europeans (British) and the first Asians (chinese), (who aren't on the Island anymore). The second non-Asians/non-Europeans (Americans) will also be friends of the third Asians (Koreans) after they get done trying to kill the second Asians (Japanese) and second Europeans (Germans) but only if they live below an arbitray line on a map.........Christ ..I give up



Seriously though...what was a French destroyer doing rescuing the mining company employees in 1942 long after the French surrender and the installation of the Vichy Govmnt?????

Hi, And Hollywood thinks history is boring without adding a bit of fiction to the story first.

Originally posted by Cap Mandrake
Raverdave;


Fascinating story about Nauru! If I understand its like this: some Europeans (British) want to mine phosphate to make bombs or fertilizer or something, but it's hard work for low pay so they bring in a bunch of Asians (Chinese). Now some new Europeans (Germans) who want to kill the first Europeans (British) sail half way around the world and pretend to be Asians (Japanese). Soon, however, some Asians (Japanese) who aren't pretending to be anything but are friends of the second Europeans who were pretending to be Japanese, come to the Island to kill the first Europeans (British). But some other Europeans (French) who only a short time before were trying to kill the second Europeans (Germans) but now like everyobdy because they are neutral come to rescue the first Europeans (British) and the first Asians (Chinese) before the second Asians (Japanese) get there. Some of the first Europeans (British) get away but the rest are captured and are treated much worse than the first Asians (Chinese). The second Asians (Japanese) want to build an Airfield so that they can kill the First Europeans (British) more easily. But the work is hard and the pay is low so they bring a third bunch of Asians (Koreans) to work on the airfield. The second Asians (Japanese) treat the third Asians (Koreans) worse than the first Europeans (British) treated the first Asians (Chinese), who aren't even on the Island anymore. Well, the work is so hard that the second Asians (Japanese) make slaves of the people who lived on the island (not really Asians or Europeans)before the first Europeans (British) decided to mine phosphate to make bombs. Needless to say, the Non-Asians/Non-Europeans (Naurans) aren't treated very well either. Then another group of Non-Asians/Non-Europeans (Americans) who, on the whole, look like Europeans (but aren't) use some of the bombs made by the phosphate on the island to try to kill some of the second Asians (Japanese). Now the second Non-Asians/non-Europeans (Americans) are friends of the first Europeans (British) and the first Asians (chinese), (who aren't on the Island anymore). The second non-Asians/non-Europeans (Americans) will also be friends of the third Asians (Koreans) after they get done trying to kill the second Asians (Japanese) and second Europeans (Germans) but only if they live below an arbitray line on a map.........Christ ..I give up

Yup...sounds like you've nailed it

Seriously though...what was a French destroyer doing rescuing the mining company employees in 1942 long after the French surrender and the installation of the Vichy Govmnt?????

Don't forget that the French had claim to Indochina and French polynesia(S?). Hell even the Dutch airfarce was operating out of Australia (once they got their hands on some bombers, from about '43 IIRC

Raverdave;

Yes I can see why a French warship would be in the South Pacific at the start of the war, but are you saying they just kinda ignored the central authority of the lap-puppy Vichy Government after the fall of France and joined the Royal Australian Navy?

Why not? There were several units of the French navy that joined either the British or Americans after the fall of France at various times during the war.

Don't forget that Nauru in this game is NOT Nauru.

It's one of the minor and more bizzare bugs remaining in this game

As I already posted long ago, what is named Nauru in the game is actually island of Kosrae (it was occupied by Japs too BTW). I believe this island is now uninhabited. Nauru, of course, is independent state today.

Nauru is smaller, it's very small, and should be to the SSE of Kosrae.

Anyone using *excellent* M.Gilchrist (Rowlf) map mods, based on satellite photos, should be able to see "real" Nauru on UV map.

(BTW, anyone knows whereabout of M. Gilchirst? He was very active on these boards, but seems to have disappeared completely?)

O.

Hi all,

Originally posted by Oleg Mastruko
Don't forget that Nauru in this game is NOT Nauru.

It's one of the minor and more bizzare bugs remaining in this game

As I already posted long ago, what is named Nauru in the game is actually island of Kosrae (it was occupied by Japs too BTW). I believe this island is now uninhabited. Nauru, of course, is independent state today.

Nauru is smaller, it's very small, and should be to the SSE of Kosrae.

Anyone using *excellent* M.Gilchrist (Rowlf) map mods, based on satellite photos, should be able to see "real" Nauru on UV map.

(BTW, anyone knows whereabout of M. Gilchirst? He was very active on these boards, but seems to have disappeared completely?)

O.

Oleg, I think that "Rowlf" said in his last post that he will be very
busy in coming weeks/months and that he will no longer make
UV gfx mods.

Perhaps he got job with Matrix/2By3 on WitP?


Leo "Apollo11"

Originally posted by Cap Mandrake
Raverdave;

Yes I can see why a French warship would be in the South Pacific at the start of the war, but are you saying they just kinda ignored the central authority of the lap-puppy Vichy Government after the fall of France and joined the Royal Australian Navy?

Didnt the the French colonial government and military forces in New-Caledonia side with the Free French? Wouldnt this explain it.

Yeah! wasn't Noumea where the French Colonial governor resided?

Originally posted by TIMJOT
Didnt the the French colonial government and military forces in New-Caledonia side with the Free French? Wouldnt this explain it.

Correct. I get headaches trying to follow French politcs of the 40's.

Originally posted by Mogami
Hi, And Hollywood thinks history is boring without adding a bit of fiction to the story first.

Yeah, one of best non fiction storys I have heard is history of time between Napoleon and WWI. There is such idiocy and moronic mistakes that it would make fine comedy. Like British invasion of Tibet.

New Caledonia and other French possessions in the Pacific were originally loyal to the new French government in Vichy - supported by a weak French Battalion in Noumea and the sloop Dumont d’Urville. There was also considerable Free-French sentiment in the region – encouraged by the allies. In September, 1940, the Australian cruiser Adelaide – the only allied ship in the region capable of over-awing the d’Urville, proceeded to Noumea (under the pretext of escorting the Norwegian Tanker Norden from Port Vila). Her real task was to keep the pro-Vichy captain of d’Urville from supporting the pro-Vichy government. The French dispatched another sloop, the Amiral Charner, from French Indochina but before she could arrive the Gaulists seized power. Amiral Charner turned around and Dumont d’Urville also departed for Indochina. After war broke out the Australian 2/3 Independent Company was sent to Noumea until larger forces could arrived from the U.S.

The Japanese originally planned to take Nauru in May, 1942, using the Guadalcanal/Tulagi invasion force. They frequently used this invade, re-board, go-invade-somewhere-else process during the early part of the war but on this occasion it was derailed by the Yorktown air attacks. Nauru was finally taken in a minor operation in August, 1942.

After refit in the U.S., the French destroyer (contre torpilleur) Le Triomphant was sent to the region in November, 1941 and subsequently operated with the Royal Australian Navy. Service in the Pacific was chosen to lessen the chance of combat with pro-Vichy French forces. I believe there was one more Free French vessel - I minesweeper I think - but I can't seem to find her name. Several other French ships served in the Pacific after France was liberated and the French forces were re-united.

Don Bowen

Wow...Don...where did you get all that information? I am impressed.

Originally posted by Cap Mandrake
Wow...Don...where did you get all that information?

From:

The Cross of Lorraine in the South Pacific by John Lawrey - ISBN 0 9595477 1

Royal Australian Navy 1939-1942 by G Hermon Gill - Official History, no ISBN

History of US Naval Operations in World War II - Volume 4, Coral Sea, Midway and Submarine Actions by S. E. Morrison - No ISBN

History of US Naval Operations in World War II - Volume 7, Aleutians, Gilberts and Marshalls by S. E. Morrison - No ISBN

Don Bowen

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When called, we served
As our Fathers had served
And they spat on us for it