herbiesan vs Cantona!!!

[1275psi]

47th Sentai finished the day with just one plane damaged, which -with luck, might get repaired by tomorrow.
Morale was good -the news from the war was good
Hong Kong had been taken -after just 2 days of fighting
3 Phillipine divisions were reported trapped at Naga.
Brunie had been siezed
And the british apparently given up on Lashio - which was already seeing 4th regiment troops moving east to forestall any chinese reinforcements

The relief forces were also reported to be coming"at a good pace" -and if the airbridge could remain unbroken -the Burma road would remain cut forever!

[1275psi]

77 th sentai -on CAP over Lashio

[1275psi]

Operations diary
47th sentai -Lashio

21/12/41
Weather: Am -clear, PM -Heavy Thunderstorms in area
47 sentai now comes under the command of 3rd Air division -Gen Nobe


reported combat mission totals

LT Hyakute 5
Juni V 5
Juni B 6
Inoute 5
Iwaya 4
izumuda 5
takenaka 7
Kuroe 6
inoue 3

LTCOL kanabayashi 7
Squadron activities severly limited today -only 1 sortie flown - as fuel shortages grounded us today
77 sentai engaged and destroyed 2 I-153
Fuel supplies arrived today near evening -9 planes available for CAP operations tomorrow
Nil damage sustained -nil inflicted

[1275psi]

Our Sentai suffered a very frustrating day today -with only 1 LRCAP mission being flown
Wars run on supplies -and this sentai today found out what that really means
The Combat diary reports lack of fuel - this was not correct -it was actually lack of clean new oil for the nine Nakajima HA 109 engines that grounded the sentai today -the Col positevly refusing to extend any hours on any of the planes -knowing full well that any plane damged badly here on this field would never be replaced.

So they hunkered down under the trees -or dug bomb slit trenches -or -at the WO's insistance -latrines
it was - for pilots -an apparently lousy way to spend a day.

[1275psi]

Takenaka and Iwaya were some 30 metres from the field -digging
This of course simply goes against all convention for officers of the imperial flying corp - but necessity insists -there were no support men for the sentai - well some mechanics were available (if they could be dragged from the 77th planes) -but for everything else the ten men were literally on there own.

To be true, takenaka was doing the digging, Iwaya was leaning on a shovel -and generally doing what he did best -not much.
"I would give a months wages for some one to dig this"
Iwaya smiled
"yes - but if the B-17's come today my friend -you would give everything to have it finished -and yourself safely encosed"
"There is that - but don't you think these slits look too much like a grave?"
"Of course my friend -of course -but truly'" Takenaka stared carefully at his companion" do you think a fighter pilot will get the luxury of even that in this jungle?

Iwaya examined the bleak green riot bordering the "field" .

"There you have a point - still -I really am not used to this work you know"
"Nor I -but dig we must"
Iwaya laughed - "yes -i suppose -like all soldiers -dig we must"

[1275psi]

the incoming Topsy pilots kept the news up to date

despite bitter, and valiant opposition from the Dutch , Toabali had been taken to the south of Singapore, and the invasion of Lingayen was so far reported as successful.
reports that a large enemy force was being surrounded at a place called bugiano? - (who could ever pronounce that!) was also very encouraging

Around dusk -the precious oil arrived, and 9 engines underwent essential oil changes.
Tomorrow the unit would fly.

[1275psi]

The air bridge continues...............

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Operations diary
47th sentai -Lashio

22/12/41
Weather: Am -clear, PM -Heavy Thunderstorms in area
47 sentai now comes under the command of 3rd Air division -Gen Nobe


reported combat mission totals

LT Hyakute 5
Juni V 6
Juni B 7 kills 2
Inoute 5
Iwaya 5
izumuda 5
takenaka 7
Kuroe 6
inoue 3

LTCOL kanabayashi 8
Squadron conducted CAP operations -3 plane sections at a time.
3 I-153c intercepted by COL Kanbayashi,Juni B, Juni V
2 enemy fighters confirmed shot down by Juni B

No damage sustained, 2 enemy planes shot down
Field bombed today -rated at 10% damage by days end.

[1275psi]

..........from Diary of Col Kanbayashi...

and it all happened so quickly.
We were on CAP, and 9 oscars were above us -when almost with out warning, Juni B inverted, and dived -and I had a hard time catching him -this bloody KI 44 is NOT as manouverable as my old 43.
Juni simply dived -us following -and took down the two enemy fighters before they even knew what had hit them -chinese pilots of low experience I think......

Was very dissapointed to find the field had been bombed when we returned -no real damage done though.. Overall this has been a great fillip to moral -I think a few of the men were starting to think we would never engage properly - i can hear the celebration now -some one has bought at least one good bottle from Canton with them........

[1275psi]

To my Son
how wonderful to be able to see you today.
You have become a man -I never thought that you would have joined the paras as you did -but seeing you today -so proud and tall - has dispelled all fear I had for you.

I look for your positions every time we fly over the field - look for the wing waggle son!

I am proud of the way you have helped serve the empire here -deep in the jungle.
I hope to see you again soon

Your father
WO Inoue

[1275psi]

As our 47th sentai celebrated its first confirmed kills of the war, other major air actions occured in the DEI.
Operating from the newly cleared base of Kuching naval bombers detected and attacked a allied cruiser force at balikapapan
CL Boise, Cl marblehead,CA Exeter and a DD were all torpedoed -and claimed sunk -although this was not confirmed.
Toboali was confirmed taken, and an invasion fleet approched Lingayen -contested by PT boats -beaten back by the escorts.

But the main action would soon centre around merack - where"operation pigpile" was now approaching its climax.

[1275psi]

47th sentai 's first kills

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Operations diary
47th sentai -Lashio

23/12/41
Weather: Am - heavy rain, PM clear
47 sentai now comes under the command of 3rd Air division -Gen Nobe


reported combat mission totals

LT Hyakute 5
Juni V 7
Juni B 7 kills 2
Inoute 5
Iwaya 5
izumuda 5
takenaka 7
Kuroe 6
inoue 4

LTCOL kanabayashi 9
Squadron conducted CAP operations -3 plane sections at a time.

In conjuction with 9 KI43, 3 plane CAP of Col Kanbayashi,WO Inoue and 2 lt Juni B intercepted a flight of 11 tomahawks - possibly enemy AVG elements
1 plane damaged
1 tomahawk damaged, 1 KI 43 lost

[1275psi]

Sitting in the vibrating, bellowing cockpit, Juni B considered the strip ahead of him
This was going to be tricky - ahead he could see at least three huge sheets of water not yet drained from the field after the tremendous showers of the last hours.

The enmy was coming, they simply had to be going.
If only this 44 was not such a pig of a plane to handle on the ground - such a narrow undercart -and so bloody high!
Nothing for it.
To his left the Colonel again was leading the way. With a snap Ban settled the goggles down -and eased the throttle to the wall_ the 1400 odd horsepower bellowing into life
Almost immediately - awheel is falling int a rut - wing down! -get it UP!, full opposite rudder!, easy, easy, .......easy, and now he can breathe as the tail comes up, and the fighter clears the trees so close to the end of the field.

They climb rapidly -a finger of three, and soon join the oscars circling at 10000 feet.
Visibility is good, the tropical haze has not yet built up, cleared by the morning showers.
He eases the goggles off -and concentrates carefully on the sky about him.

Again the oscars see them first - a dozen odd sharks coming in -looking for a fight.
Crap - no height advantage -but eagerly he turns into the combat - he has 2 kills, and a very jealous brother behind him -and he wants more.
there is no fear -just a coldness to close a shark -to close and bring him down.

A Tomahawk drifts across to his left, and Juni grunts hard as he attempts to get its tail.
His opponent must'nt know he is there -and that is why -a KI43 completes the picture.
The turn takes 5 seconds -an eternity -a string of planes -the hunted, the hunted, the hunter... and death then fills the air.
The oscar speed stalls, flipping over and violently down -escaping -the p40 straitens -and ban fires - pieces flying from the curtiss.
But it does not fall, diving to escape -and he dives -rising in his straps -the dust of the field leaving the floor of his cockpit -hard on its tail.
he fires again -do these 12mms have any punch!

and then something strikes him hard - and now there is fear as he slams his left foot down, wrenches the stick to the left.

Whatever hit him does not follow -and the dark sea of green is far too close.
Breathing hard, Juni B heads home, throttle to the wall.
And it strikes him -he may be good -but there is always someone better.

[1275psi]

The line to 3rd Air division -Gen Nobe -was very bad. Although line is not accurate, the great bulky box that masquraded as a radio was barely allowing the conversation to go ahead.
he was hungry. he was tired. A million things to do.
"Could the field be held?'
"Of course!"
"Could they sustain the op?"
"yes they could!"
"5 transports lost today - could they do with reinforcements?"
he looked out of the shelter -at the single strip, the crowded edges,planes stuck into every corner -vulnerable -oh so vulnerable.
"No!"
And morale?
that was easy - "morale is very, very good!"

leaving the shelter a sense of unease filled the Colonel. So far Lashio had been a great success -who in the hell in high command was getting cold feet!

[1275psi]

.........and in further bold actions paratroops today landed at Merack -siezing the port facilities in preparation for our transport bound troops.
Army command repiorts that Lingayen has fallen , and taiping has been taken
In what can only be seen as a encircling operation, naval forces today siezed the oil centre of Ambionia, in what the high command reports as the beginning of the door shutting to the Dutch east indies........

[1275psi]

P40B
One tough little Mother!

[1275psi]

Operations diary
47th sentai -Lashio

24/12/41
Weather: Am - clear, PM clear
47 sentai now comes under the command of 3rd Air division -Gen Nobe


reported combat mission totals

LT Hyakute 5
Juni V 7
Juni B 7 kills 2
Inoute 5
Iwaya 5
izumuda 5
takenaka 7
Kuroe 7
inoue 4

LTCOL kanabayashi 10
sentai only able to conduct one CAP of 3 planes due to severe fuel shortages
10 P40e sighted, but unable to be engaged
Nil damage inflicted/sustained.

[1275psi]

herbiesan note -I really hope we can upload pictures soon -and what we have comes back!!! -otherwise this is a doomed AAR!

from the Diary of Col Kanbayashi

...and the supply situation still remains on a knifes edge, particularily in relation to fuel. We are all very tired now -less from the flying -more from the conditions here at the field.
However i suspect our mission is succeeding in one respect -the enemy effort against us has not been nearly as vigourous as I expected.
ground support is struggling here as well -our spares are shot - as I suspected would happen when an experimental plane is thrust to a remote front.
have asked to be relieved before planes aree grounded by mechanical failures -and this has been accepted.
Mixed feelings over this, but one must do...........

[1275psi]

24/12/42 was a mixed day for 47th sentai -with only 3 planes flying -although records show five flew -but records from this period are very spotty to say the least.

LT Hyakute came close to an engagement -when he and some 9 oscars attempted to engage a sweep of P40's -but they were having nothing to do with it

he however was going to be remembered for this day for a totally different reason -flying around the field for some 30 odd minutes -upside down.
It amused the troops on the ground -but not the Colonel...............