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Sunset in the East. DBB 30B. Open to Bibow

 
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Sunset in the East. DBB 30B. Open to Bibow - 9/12/2015 10:32:47 PM   
kaleun

 

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I shall once again try an AAR.
This is DaBig Babes, 30B
Not much in the way of house rules except to be reasonable.
Non historic start. Only one port attack. No carrier hunting.


< Message edited by kaleun -- 1/20/2017 8:15:03 PM >


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Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Post #: 1
RE: Sunset in the East. Bilbow (Japan) Vs Kaleun. No Bi... - 9/12/2015 11:14:32 PM   
kaleun

 

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Chronicles of the Pacific

The Philippines.
US Protectorate.

December 8th 1941.
The airplanes wheeled, unmolested over the Manila sky. The meatballs on their wings clearly visible as they leisurely lined up their targets and bore in to drop their torpedoes, or bombs, on the unprotected, unsuspecting, moored ships. Fires raged out of control around the naval yard, the firefighting crews forced to cower, among civilians and sailors, in the inadequate so called shelters. Indeed, every drainage ditch and hole in the base was filled with as many scared bodies as would fit. Those who manned the AA guns, the only men able to vent their rage with anything more effective than clenched fists, fired their guns with abandon, but achieved just as much.
When the first wave of attackers left the Luzon sky streaked by heavy dark smoke, streaming from the harbor installations and burning ships, feelings of shock and anger filled the hearts and minds of American and Filipino alike joined, in the case of one young ensign, with an unexpected feeling of relief.
Ensign Kemp Tolley exhaled. Among the horror and destruction surrounding the harbor, his first feeling was relief. Relief that he would not have to carry out his orders; orders that called him to take his first command, the USS Lanikai, a schooner rigged sailing yacht, hastily fitted out with a gun dating from the Spanish-American war, into Japanese held water, ostensibly to search for a, presumed lost, Catalina PBY, but actually under secret orders from the President, in an almost suicidal mission to provoke the Imperial Japanese Navy into attacking US naval ships and thus bring the US into the war. The crew of the three ships selected, if they survived, would then sit out the war as prisoners of war in a Japanese POW camp. Had he known, then, of the way POWs were to be treated by the sons of the rising sun, he would have resigned his brand new commission on the spot.
Fortunately for him, this destruction spared him that fate.
He thought of his ship and ran over to the dock where the little yacht rode at its moorings, untouched by all the destruction that surrounded her. The submarine fleet had been hit particularly hard: Salmon and Swordfish sunk. Sailfish, known in the service as Squailfish, also sunk by 2 enemy bombs -Good riddance, that was an unlucky ship- Kemp thought. Among the pig boats, S-38 and 41 would also no longer torture the unfortunates that had to put out to sea on those obsolete, leaking crates. Seawolf, Snapper, Perch, Sculpin, Seadragon, Tarpon, Sealion, and S-37 had also been hit. The floating dry dock YFD-1 Dewey was on fire too.
-Better get some orders, Kemp murmured to himself, and set off at a trot towards the HQ building.
The Babel at HQ dwarfed the chaos outside. No one had time for lowly ensign Kemp Tolley, commander of the USS Navy’s most useless and disposable ship. He alternatively paced or sat at the waiting room, waiting for orders. While no orders were forthcoming, there was a lot of information, some of it accurate, flowing through the room. The airfield at Manila had been attacked. 40 Catalina float planes had been destroyed. No, only one Catalina was destroyed, the rest were damaged. All the P-40s were destroyed. No they were not destroyed. Clark had been hit.
Despairing of ever receiving any orders, Kemp returned to his ship where he found that his crew had gathered. A dinghy took him aboard. The Filipino speaking crew looked at him for instructions.
“Load all the guns,” he ordered, “No, you idiot, not the 3 pounder.”
The error was forgivable as the Lanikai carried only one .50 cal machine gun, a .30 cal machine gun and a 47mm quick firing gun that fired three pound shells, the odd caliber due to the fact that the gun itself was war booty from the Spanish American war.
As a result, when the second wave of enemy carrier aircraft arrived, 27 torpedo bombers and 39 Zero fighters, Lanikai’s 2 machine guns fired with as much enthusiasm as ineffectiveness into the air. Snapper and Perch sunk at their moorings and a great explosion promised the same fate for Pike. Sargo and Pickerel also suffered hits.
The second raid over, and all the ammunition expended by the zealous efforts of his eager crew, Kemp made his way to the ammunition depot, accompanied by four men to help carry the replacement ammo back to the ship.
The quartermaster at the arsenal, once ensign Tolley had shouldered his way to him, looked at the requisition and sneered.
“You only used this much ammo? What were your men doing ensign? Sleeping? And what kind of ship is the USS Lanikai? Never heard of it.”
Ensign Tolley retorted, “That’s all the ammo we had; the Lanikai only carries two machine guns.”
The quartermaster gazed at Kemp and his four Filipino sailors with something bordering respect, or as much respect as an old, southern sailor could have for the Filipino.
“Didn’t hit anything, did you?”
“It wasn’t for lack of trying.” Kemp replied.
After obtaining the appropriate signature on his requisition, and sending his men back to the ship pushing as much ammunition as four handcarts could carry, Kemp returned to the HQ for further orders.



_____________________________

Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu

(in reply to kaleun)
Post #: 2
RE: Sunset in the East. Bilbow (Japan) Vs Kaleun. No Bi... - 9/12/2015 11:15:54 PM   
kaleun

 

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This morning’s pandemonium was only a memory as service men and women auxiliaries dashed to and fro bearing flimsies, orders, documents, maps.
“Ah, Tolley,” his commanding officer acknowledged him, barely glancing up from the papers on his desk.
“Ensign Tolley reporting for orders sir. I mean, I assume my previous orders are cancelled by the attack, sir.”
“You assume correctly ensign,” the old captain rasped, “I have another job for you. xAKL Doña Nati and Don Jose are loading supplies at the naval dock. Escort them to Bataan. Be on the lookout for mines. It’s quite likely the bastards mined the approaches.”
“Aye aye sir,” Kemp saluted.
“And keep out of our minefields too,” the captain added.
Escorting the two small steamers across Manila Bay, Kemp witnessed the surge of the diminished Far East submarine fleet. Only seven boats followed a darkened minesweeper out of the harbor. The sail numbers, following US naval procedure had been painted over, but he recognized the subs anyway, mostly because he had seen them at sunset, as they assembled to follow their minesweeper escort out of the harbor. Permit, Shark, Seal, Skipjack, Saury, Spearfish and Searaven. The rest of the fleet lay in harbor, their crews repairing what they could, waiting for a spot in drydock, or even pierside.






Attachment (1)

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Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu

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RE: Sunset in the East. Bilbow (Japan) Vs Kaleun. No Bi... - 9/12/2015 11:16:46 PM   
kaleun

 

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USS Houston, off Ilo Ilo.

The heavy cruiser lay at anchor off the island of Ilo Ilo. Steam was up and the whole crew awaited orders. What would be their destination? Manila was the preferred bet, not just because many men had sweethearts, or what passed for such in a sailor’s heart, there. They heard of the attack and all were eager to hit back at the enemy. Yet time passed and no orders came out of the bridge.
“Signal from Manila captain,” the young sailor held a flimsy to his skipper.
Captain Riker took the message slip and read it in silence.
“Houston, strong enemy aeronaval force seen ESE Manila, N Palawan steaming west. Do not repeat not return Manila. Use own discretion.”
The darkened ship remained at anchor, ready to sail at a moment’s notice, crew at action stations, but no other orders came down the tower.


< Message edited by kaleun -- 9/13/2015 2:42:39 AM >


_____________________________

Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu

(in reply to kaleun)
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RE: Sunset in the East. Bilbow (Japan) Vs Kaleun. No Bi... - 9/13/2015 4:58:46 AM   
kaleun

 

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Singapore

The officer’s club at the airbase was jumping with activity. Pilots gathered round the heroes of the day.
The RAF pilots of the 4AACU who, flying their obsolete Swordfish bombers had scored 4 hits on AK Kyushu Maru and one on xAK Asosan Maru near Kuantan when all the other, more modern bombers, Blenheim and Hudson had missed, did not need to buy beer tonight.
Neither did the fighter pilots of the 243rd RAF, 453 RAAF and 488 RNZAF. These young men were on the receiving end of a series of toasts from the officer’s mess of Battlecruiser Repulse and the Battleshim Prince of Wales who had come under attack by G4M bombers in the morning and escaped unscathed thanks to the pilots of these fighter groups who had, between them, splashed a total of 18 enemy machines.
The naval men had to leave the party early though as Vice Admiral Phillips had ordered Z force, reinforced by CL Mauritius to sortie shortly after sunset to intercept the invasion force that was presumed to be heading to Kuantan or perhaps Mersing. The fighter jocks followed shortly after as they, too, had their missions in the morning, not the least of which was to protect Z force on its way north.

Soerabaja

Brigadier General Olmstead sat at his command desk in Soerabaja. Surrounding him were his aides, and closest officers.
“They have not attacked Dutch territories yet,” a big man with a heavy paunch said, “We should not provoke them.”
General Olmstead looked at the civilian with distaste, “Comissioner, there is one thing, and one thing only driving the Japanese into this war. Oil.”
No one spoke.
“And, my dear commissioner, except for Miri and Brunei, we are the only ones that have it, in this part of the world,” he concluded.
A map on the wall displayed the Dutch East Indies for all to see. His domain. He was tasked by his Queen to defend it, to protect the land and the civilians that inhabited it. An impossible task, if he had twice the number of troops, and three times the naval and air assets at his disposal.
Oil. There was plenty of it, and the Japanese were coming for it.
And there was nothing he could do about it.
“Where do you want me to place my cruiser force?” Rear Admiral Doorman asked.
Cruiser force was a vast exaggeration. His task force consisted of one light cruiser, De Ruyter, and four destroyers.
General Olmstead looked up.
“They want oil and fuel. Well, let’s see how much we can take out before they get to us. Get all the tankers to load up with as much fuel as they can carry. Where there’s no fuel, load up with oil. Send it to Perth, or to Darwin for the smaller ships. Doorman, keep your cruiser force here. We might be able to get some reinforcements from the US Navy. They must come here if they withdraw from the Philippines.”



_____________________________

Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu

(in reply to kaleun)
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RE: Sunset in the East. Bilbow (Japan) Vs Kaleun. No Bi... - 9/13/2015 5:10:28 AM   
kaleun

 

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Australia

General Blaney met with Air Vice Marshall Bostock and their aides.
“It’s started then,” the General said.
“Know what Wimpy said when he heard the news?” The Vice Marshall said, “He said, ‘Good, now we are all in the same boat’”
General Blaney lit a pipe and exhaled a thick plume of blue smoke, “Problem is, old boy, our cupboard is quite bare.”
“I have reinforced Rabaul with a group of Catalinas to help out the Hudsons. At least we should get some warning if the blighters head south from Truk.”
“We cannot hold Rabaul. If they want to take it, they will. I don’t want to lose the whole shooting match up there,” Blaney said, “I think we should get Lark battalion back. Can you airlift it to PM and from there to Darwin?”
“I have three Empires at PM and can have that started in the morning,” Bostock said, “Best thing would be to fly them to PM and from there ship them to Darwin, I’d say.”
“Might as well start shipping supplies over to Darwin too. Don’t know how long we’ll be able to,” Blaney concluded.




< Message edited by kaleun -- 9/14/2015 4:10:01 PM >


_____________________________

Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu

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RE: Sunset in the East. Bilbow (Japan) Vs Kaleun. No Bi... - 9/13/2015 5:39:54 AM   
RogerJNeilson


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Like the style of this, subscribed

Roger

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An unplanned dynasty: Roger Neilson, Roger Neilson 11, Roger Neilson 3 previous posts 898+1515 + 1126 = 3539.....Finally completed my game which started the day WITP:AE was released

(in reply to kaleun)
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RE: Sunset in the East. Bilbow (Japan) Vs Kaleun. No Bi... - 9/14/2015 3:11:29 PM   
kaleun

 

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Dec 8 1941(US)

Luzon, Philippine Islands.

Manila Bay is unnaturally dark; the city is subject to a blackout order which surprisingly is readily obeyed by all, American and Filipino alike. Across the bay the dark background of the Bataan peninsula hides the open South China Sea. A small flotilla of PT boats makes its way across the bay, en route to the base of San Fernando on the west coast of Luzon. There, the small boats will stand guard against a possible Japanese invasion of the island.
4 explosions shake the night. Pt 41, 35, 33 and 31 hit mines and sink. The remainder of the PT boats made it to the open sea and turn north towards San Fernando. AM Finch and Whipporwill will clear 12 more enemy mines during the night.
Enemy aircraft show up shortly after dawn over an ominous overcast. 60 bombers and 27 Zero fighters approach the city and port but, today, the defenders are waiting for them. 31 P40E meet the raiders. The results could have been better save for the inexperience of the American fighter pilots. Even so, 3 G3M2 and 2 G4M1 bombers are destroyed and fall in flames from the sky. 2 P-40E fall to the enemy machine guns. The effect on the enemy bombing accuracy, or perhaps it is the overcast, is remarkable. SS Porpoise takes one bomb hit, as does Seawolf, which sinks. xAP Rochambeau is hit by one bomb as is DD John Ford. A second wave of 40 G4M1 and 30 fighters comes through meeting 22 P-40E. Only one P-40 is lost, but the allied aircraft destroy 9 enemy bombers and damage 3 more. xAK Ethel Edwards takes one bomb hit.
The only damper on the day is the confirmed report of Bataan Island seized by the Japanese a day earlier and, late in the afternoon, the rumor, later confirmed, that Aparri, on the north coast of Luzon was taken by Japanese paratroopers who found the village undefended.
Ensign Tolley finds himself transferred to the Asheville PG21.
“Jesus H Christ!” he said, when his commanding officer was out of earshot, “When will I get on a real ship!”
The Asheville, a gun boat laid down in 1918, and commissioned in 1920 was meant for river and coastal action, not for naval action and as such, her armament of .50 and .30 machineguns, as well as 3 pounder and 1 pounder guns was pretty useless against naval combatants. She was to escort an oiler, Trinity to Balikpapan, there load up fuel and get it to Darwin on the north coast of Australia. An old minesweeper of the same age, Bittern AM-36 would accompany them. The minesweeper’s 2 3 inch guns and 2 machine guns would be sure to scare an angry Japanese canoe. Shaking his head, Kemp reported for duty.
As his small convoy left Manila Bay, Kemp saw a destroyer, Pope escorting one of the Far Eastern Submarine fleet tender’s, AS Otus out of the harbor. The submarine fleet was no longer large enough to warrant three tenders, it seemed. Following behind Bittern, on the surface, the sail of a small submarine could be seen. S-37, damaged, but sea worthy, also leaving Manila bound for Soerabaja.


_____________________________

Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu

(in reply to RogerJNeilson)
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RE: Sunset in the East. Bilbow (Japan) Vs Kaleun. No Bi... - 9/14/2015 3:12:11 PM   
kaleun

 

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Singapore

The mood in the officers club is somber this evening. The Swordfish contingent, reinforced by the units flown in from the northern peninsula, armed with torpedoes, set out, in the company of 2, even more obsolete Vildebeest III to attack the landing forces at Mersing. 4 Swordfish were destroyed by the CAP of only 2 AGM2 fighters. 2 Vildebeest and one Hudson launched torpedoes and missed.
Enemy carrier airplanes found Force Z near Mersing. 39 A6M2 fighters escorted 56 B5N2 level bombers in and were met by 17 Buffalo I. This time the fighters were quite ineffective destroying only one Zero and damaging 7 bombers. Naval AA destroyed 2 bombers and 3 Buffalo were shot out of the sky. 13 of the enemy bombers carried torpedoes but, fortunately they all missed. Two bombs hit the Prince of Wales but the thick armor minimized the damage.
Throughout the day, formations of Blenheim and Vildebeest bombers attacked the invaders at Mersing. These attacks were fruitless, although a Vildebeest hit xAK Arima Maru with a defective torpedo, and 2 more scored torpedo hits on xAK Kenyo Maru sinking her with an estimated 2500 troops. A success of sorts, but no more than a drop in a bucket of the Japanese invasion force.
Late in the day 44 Zero and 65 Kate bombers found Force Z again, blew through the 10 fighters escorting the ships, dropping 2 in the process. The Buffs damaged 11 bombers and Naval flak dropped 4 more. The 55 that made it through scored 2 hits on Repulse, fortunately non penetrating armor hits and one on CL Danae.
The task force is still battleworthy and will look in on Mersing on the way back to Singapore. There are many ships there, some battleships too, but they are old. Mersing is very lightly held and will fall tomorrow. The enemy landings must be disrupted else the Japanese will advance on Khong and cut Singapore off from the forces in the north of the peninsula.
Meanwhile, all the forces north of Khong have been ordered south to Johore Bahru posthaste.



_____________________________

Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu

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RE: Sunset in the East. Bilbow (Japan) Vs Kaleun. No Bi... - 9/14/2015 3:12:46 PM   
kaleun

 

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quote:

Like the style of this, subscribed

Roger


Thanks Roger

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Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu

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Post #: 10
RE: Sunset in the East. Bilbow (Japan) Vs Kaleun. No Bi... - 9/14/2015 4:45:21 PM   
kaleun

 

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Soerabaja

Admiral Doorman had some reason to cheer. CL Java and Tromp joined his squadron.

USS Houston

Captain Riker reviewed the latest intelligence received from Manila. The enemy forces previously reported in the South China Sea seem to be off Mersing now. If they remain there for a while, there might be time for his heavy cruiser to dash through Makassar straight, reach Soerabaja and join Doorman’s command. He could also return to Manila now, but something made him think that Manila was not such a safe harbor; the Japanese seizure of Aparri in the north indicating that Luzon was their next objective. He paced the bridge. There was no time to lose. Use your own discretion. Nothing would be gained by sacrificing his ship in a futile defense of Manila. In fact, it appeared that Naval HQ Manila was evacuating naval assets from the harbor as fast as they could sail.
He raised his head, the decision was clear.
“XO set a course for Soerabaja, maximum sustainable speed.”
It would be a race, Houston vs. Kido Butai.





_____________________________

Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu

(in reply to kaleun)
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RE: Sunset in the East. Bilbow (Japan) Vs Kaleun. No Bi... - 9/15/2015 1:01:33 PM   
kaleun

 

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December 9 1941

Force Z

The pride of the Royal Navy sailed into Mersing. Secretly, Admiral Phillips hoped to find the invasion fleet and to deliver some pain to the transports. Though unsporting and just not cricket, he would prefer to avoid the enemy combatant ships, as they were shall we say, expendable, as far as the Mersing invasion went.
It was, of course, not to be. Sailing into Mersing at night, on their way back to Singapore (It just wouldn’t do to delay until the morning, with all those carrier torpedo bombers flitting about)his task force met Abe’s covering force.
Not only met but had his T crossed by the enemy ships. It wasn’t good.
Kongo, Haruna and CL Jintsu concentrated their fire on the leading battleship. At a cost of one shell hit on Kongo, two on Haruna and one on Jintsu, the three ships scored a total of 12 hits on Prince of Wales and one torpedo hit courtesy of Jintsu.
Repulse did better with only two shell impacts on her superstructure. CL Danae got away with only one. Electra sunk after a torpedo hit.
As far as the enemy, apart from the already mentioned hits on the battleships and light cruiser Jintsu, Destroyers Asashio 1 hit, Oshio 1,Michishio 1 and Arashio 1. Akatsuki and Hibiki escaped unscathed, as did heavy cruiser Atago.

Morning found Force Z near Singapore, but just as the hands began to relax under the 10 Buffalo from Singapore that covered their task force, a large contingent of enemy planes appeared: 32 Zero fighters that engaged the 10 Buffalo I destroying 2. 40 dive bombers and 45 torpedo bombers. The Buffalo did what they could, destroying one Zero and damaging 8 B5N2 and 10 D3A1. AA destroyed 2 torpedo bombers and one dive bombers.
The results were sobering. 10 bombs hit POW. Fortunately none penetrated the battlewagon’s armor, but two torpedoes dis.
Repulse did no better. 12 ineffective bombs, and one effective torpedo. CL Danae also took one bomb.

A second larger wave attacked soon afterward. 63 Zero, 122 B5N2 and 131 D3A1. No allied fighters to be seen.
The results were a foregone conclusion.
BC Repulse BH 12, CL Danae BH 6 TH 2, sinks. POW BH 16, CL Mauritius BH 18 sinks, DD Vampire BH 2 TH 1 sinks. Tenedos escapes damage.

Force Z limps back into Singapore shortly after sunset. The two capital ships enter dry dock, to be patched up as fast as possible. They will no longer play a part in the defense of Malaya. The plan is to get them out of Dodge, as our cousins, the Americans would say.

Singapore.
There is no cheer in the officer’s mess. The results of today’s air battles are dismal, losses heavy and, worse than that, Mersing fell. Now all eyes look at Khong, defended by an Australian brigade. All troops have been ordered to make for Johore Bahru soonest, but unless Khong can be held, Singapore will be doomed.
Tokyo Rose announces the capture of Mersing, Vigan and Tarawa.


_____________________________

Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu

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RE: Sunset in the East. Bilbow (Japan) Vs Kaleun. No Bi... - 9/15/2015 1:01:59 PM   
kaleun

 

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Philippine Islands
The harbor is still full of damaged shipping. The dry dock has been partially repaired and the beleaguered Harbor manager needs to decide on the order of repair for the many damaged ships. His decision will be criticized by many, but in the end, despite protests, it is final. Submarines, SS Tarpon, System 8/ Float 31/Engines 11 is the first one to enter dry dock, followed by S-40 31/11/4, and Sturgeon 30/25 (11major)and 9 (2 major) As soon as they are able, they will be evacuated to Soerabaja. Sealion 21/1/2 under Lcmdr Friederich C V leaves her moorings and sets out for Soerabaja.
All fighter groups in Manila are stood down. Airframes are in dire need of repair, but more than that, the pilots are exhausted and demoralized. Nothing save victories can restore morale, but fatigue may be decreased by rest.





_____________________________

Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu

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RE: Sunset in the East. Bilbow (Japan) Vs Kaleun. No Bi... - 9/15/2015 4:11:37 PM   
kaleun

 

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December 10th

During the night, Kido Butai 1 met DM Stronghold, departing Singapore with the objective of mining harbors on the north west coast of Borneo. The two forces pass by each other in the night, but the position, course and speed of the destroyer minelayer are plotted on the Japanese battle map. Same thing happens later with CM Kung Wo and her two escorts, AM Toowoomba and AM Ballarat. Even later in the day CL Dragon, CL Durban and 5 Tankers, filled with fuel from Palembang meet the Japanese carriers. It is clear the KB 1 pilots will find themselves with a “target rich environment” once they can start operations. The position, composition, and course of the Japanese carrier force are duly transmitted to Singapore, Palembang and, from there, to all the command centers in the region.
The first result of these encounters is an attack on DM Thracian and DD Thanet with 34 A6M2 fighters, 13 B5N2 and 3 D3A1. Though skilful handling and gunwork, both destroyers escaped damage and 2 bombers were damaged by flak.
They were not out of the woods yet. 25 Zero fighters and 13 dive bombers cam calling next. 3 D3A1 were damaged but Thanet took one bomb hit. Scout and Thracian escaped injury.
The next visit was to the tanker task force. 11 fighters and 15 dive bombers hit the task force. CL Durban took 3 bomb hits and TK Iris 2.
Near Pontianak, CM Kung Wo got hit by 4 bombs from 22 B5N2 bombers escorted by 23 A6M2. AM Ballarat and AM Toowoomba put up a brisk yet uneffective fire that damaged only 2 bombers.
It was not a good day for the minelayers. Near Bandjermasin, CM Krakatau, escorted by DD Van Ghent had just spoken to CA Houston, that had just transited Makassar Strait when 3 torpedoes slammed into the side of the minelayer.

Mindanao

Davao taken by the Japanese.

Luzon

Lingayen taken by the Japanese.

At Aden, the UK response to the events happening in Malaya shows just how bare the cupboard is in Asia.
B Squadron 3rd Hussars under Maj Vincent, I load up on AP Esperance Bay. Vickers Tankettes! Really? On xAP Largo Bay and xAP Clan Lamont the 21st light AA under Cpt Gifford, J equipped with 40mm Bofors AA load up too. Their mission: Secure the airfield at Akyab. The task force is escorted by two light cruisers, Hobart and Colombo, and one destroyer escort, Starling. The importance of the mission as well as the uncertainty of the fluid situation is showcased, not only by the speed with which the convoy is assembled but by the fact that they load up combat ready, to unload as fast as possible. The safety of their destination, so far ahead in time and space, unknown.
In Rangoon, the 1st Gloucestershire regiment is ordered by rail to Prome, and from there, overland, to march to Akyab to provide infantry support.
Where the aviation and engineering support will come from is, as yet, a mystery.
Over Rangoon, a few Oscar fighters do battle with the local CAP of Buffalo I fighters. The results are not promising.





_____________________________

Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu

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Post #: 14
RE: Sunset in the East. Bilbow (Japan) Vs Kaleun. No Bi... - 9/15/2015 10:24:19 PM   
kaleun

 

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December 11 41

Batavia,
Dutch East Indies

The enemy carrier group, Kido Butai I composed of Zuikaku, Shokaku, and Akagi penetrates deeper into the Java Sea. Batavia suffers the wrath of its air groups, which, if somewhat diminished by operational losses, as well as fatigue and attrition, do not show it. 23 A6M2, 73 B5N2 and 68 D3A1 attack the undefended Batavia harbor. The AA opens up and damages 7 level bombers and one dive bomber.

xAK Sommelsdijk, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires
xAK Tasman, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AGP Aldebaran, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AGP Wega, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Mariso, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Van der Lijn, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
ARD Tandjong Kv-1, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
AVP Orion, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Glenapp, Bomb hits 3, on fire
xAK Langkoeas, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAKL De Klerk, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAP Tabinta, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AMc Djampea, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
xAP Mijer, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
CM Rigel, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
xAK Bellerophon, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AMc Digoel, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
xAK Boero, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AMc MMS B, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
AMc MMS C, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
ARD Tandjong Kv-2, Bomb hits 1AS Janssens, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAP Kota Baroe, Bomb hits 1, on fire
AMc MMS D, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk


A second carrier group attacked DM Thracian, DD Scout and S Thanet near Singapore. These planes seem to come from a different carrier group located in the South China Sea, following KBI’s steps at a fair distance. 25 A6M2, 23 B5N2 and 24 D3A1 were met by 6 Buffalo I. 3 of the defending fighters were destroyed, as was one Zero. 1 B5N2 and 3 D3A1 were damaged. Scout was left on fire by 4 direct bomb hits, Thracian by one.

A third carrier group located in the Philippine sea attacked and sunk 4 xAKL that were fleeing from Legaspi to Manila. 3 P40E mounted a heroic but futile defense that cost the allies one more fighter.









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Post #: 15
RE: Sunset in the East. Bilbow (Japan) Vs Kaleun. No Bi... - 9/15/2015 10:24:54 PM   
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KB 2





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RE: Sunset in the East. Bilbow (Japan) Vs Kaleun. No Bi... - 9/15/2015 10:25:17 PM   
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KB3





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Post #: 17
RE: Sunset in the East. Bilbow (Japan) Vs Kaleun. No Bi... - 9/16/2015 3:06:46 AM   
BBfanboy


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Batavia is an obvious port for the Allies to try refuel/load ships before moving on to Oz. The Japanese took the guess that it would be a rich target and got what they wanted. I would use an less obvious port like Tjilatjap for refuelling and would not let valuable ships like ARDs pause for anything but minimal fuel to get south.
That said, if KB has AOs along it can go a lot further south without worrying about Allied naval or air strength. Here's hoping your opponent will want to turn around now...


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RE: Sunset in the East. Bilbow (Japan) Vs Kaleun. No Bi... - 9/17/2015 4:29:14 PM   
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Mauban Invaded.




Malaya

Japanese forces attacked and seized the important railroad location of Kluong. Fortunately the defenders withdrew in good order to Johore Bahru, thus providing battered, yet useful reinforcements to the garrison at Singapore.
Rumors circulate around Government House that Australian Prime Minister has requested from His Majesties government that all Australian forces be repatriated soonest to assist in the defense of the Australian homeland. Most important this affects the 2 Australian brigades now in Johore Bahru, but how exactly these forces are to be evacuated, in the face of Japan’s control of the seas remains to be determined.



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Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
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Post #: 19
RE: Sunset in the East. Bilbow (Japan) Vs Kaleun. No Bi... - 9/18/2015 2:22:12 PM   
kaleun

 

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December 14 1941


Hawaiian Islands.

North East of the Islands, in the general vicinity of Lahaina, US Destroyers seek out Japanese submarines. Lots of destroyers. No less than four ASW task forces with four ships apiece chase enemy contacts. No one told the sailors anything but the presence of so many asw ships in such a small area of such a vast ocean can only mean one thing.
Some important naval asset is arriving.

Dutch East Indies

Makassar straits, the obvious escape route for ships fleeing Manila is, obviously, heavily patrolled by Japanese submarines. Their patience is finally rewarded as several ships, some larger, some smaller end up as targets for their torpedoes. In addition, the airplanes form KB 3 do not lack for targets.
Near Manado, xAKL Mauban and Montanes fall to the cannons of CA Haguro, CS Chitose and others.
AT Soerabaja, newly arrived SS Sealion refuels and sets off again for Perth.




South West Pacific.
A small task force hits Ocean island. The invaders swarm over the small speck on the ocean overwhelming the inadequate Heron detachment.

Philippines

At San Fernando, the plucky 11th PA Division repels an attack by the Kanno detachment supported by the 4th Tank regiment.
With enemy forces to the South East of Manila, the final parts of War Plan Orange will come together. At Manila, SS Porpoise and Sturgeon are pronounced fit for the sea and come out of dry dock. It will take two or three days for the boats to be ready for travel; there are supplies to be loaded, fuel, ammunition, torpedoes. If they can be got ready in time, they will set out for Soerabaja. S40 and Pickerel enter dry dock although there is little hope that they can be rendered capable before the city falls to the Japanese.
The 24th PG/3rd Pursuit squadron transfers from Manila to the little airstrip at Bataan. The Catalinas based at Bataan transfer uneventfully to Singapore, their pilots bewildered at the unusual, and seemingly irrational rebasing.
Clark is evacuated, the airplanes destroyed or transferred to Tarakan. All forces at Clark begin to move towards Bataan, except for the AA guns which will provide aircover.



_____________________________

Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
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Post #: 20
RE: Sunset in the East. Bilbow (Japan) Vs Kaleun. No Bi... - 9/18/2015 2:24:15 PM   
kaleun

 

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Rangoon.

Captain Robert A, Montes alights from the battered, converted bomber that flew him in from Calcutta. The oldest son of a Cuban Tobacco worker from Tampa, he is the first member of his family to attend West Point, thanks to his hard work at school, and in part to the help of a friendly senator. Little did he think, when he graduated from the academy, that he would find himself on a peripatetic tour of half the world, that took him to London by ship, Lisbon, Gibraltar, Sierra Leone, Cape Town, and Mombasa by plane, across the Indian ocean in a military convoy to Karachi, and from there, across the Indian subcontinent in a succession of rickety steam trains out of a Kipling novel until he reached Calcutta.
Now, at Rangoon, the hardest part of his journey was to start, up the Burma forest to Mytkivina and from there, by plane hopefully, to China to rendezvous and liaison for the AVG and Chang Kai Check’s Chinese forces. Problem was, he spoke not a word of Chinese. The army needed an officer who ‘spoke languages’
Spanish was a language, thus Lieutenant Montes qualified for the job and was immediately promoted, and sent off half way around the world to do a job he knew he was totally incapable of doing.
“Captain Montes, sir,” a corporal waved at him from the airport’s ramshackle building.
Corporal Stevens opened the door of a Bedford truck that seemed about to fall apart and threw his gunny bag in the back.
“Had a bit of a to do yesterday sir,” he told Montes, “some Jap planes showed up and roughed up our Buffaloes.”
The truck drove along the edge of the perimeter. AA guns pointed their cannons into the air. For the first time since crossing the Atlantic in a convoy, Montes felt like he was in a real combat zone. He saw fighters at dispersal. Something was wrong. Those weren’t Buffalo fighters.
“Hope they show up today the buggers,” Stevens continued, “Might have a little show for ‘em.”
“Those aircraft aren’t Buffalo,” Montes said.
“That’s right sir, those are Kittyhawks, from China. Just arrived. Will serve them right, Major Boyngton will, yes sir.”
Just at that moment the air raid alarms went off and he saw men scrambling to their machines, their engines starting up.
Ignoring the sirens, Corporal Stevens drove Capt Montes to the Headquarters.
“I shall take your bag to your quarters sir.” The corporal saluted and drove off.
Rangoon Army HQ also largely ignored the alarms.
“We wait until we hear the ack-ack going off,” a passing lieutenant told Montes, “there are so many false alarms, we’d never get anything done otherwise.”
“Ah, Captain Montes, I have a message for you,” the master sergeant at the intake desk said handing him a sealed envelope.
The message was curt, even for the army, “Wait in Rangoon for further orders”
What now? Montes thought. He stepped outside where several men and women looked up at the sky, and at the contrails where Boyngton’s fighters looped and swirled around the enemy machines. From the ground it was impossible to tell them apart, or to know whether to cheer, or groan, when an airplane was shot out of the sky in flames, as happened with two of them.



_____________________________

Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
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Post #: 21
RE: Sunset in the East. Bilbow (Japan) Vs Kaleun. No Bi... - 9/18/2015 2:25:23 PM   
kaleun

 

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Singapore

“Send the Aussies back!” Lieutenant General Arthur Percival roared, “How can we defend Singapore without them?”
The virtual loss of more than half his command, caught on the wrong side of Khuong made the Australian forces essential to hold on to the Gibraltar of the East.
Admiral Phillips, more stoic, replied, “You cannot hold Singapore, with or without the Australians Arthur. Those men and pilots will be needed soon, I fear.” He sucked on his pipe.
“The problem I’d say is how to get them out.”
Perhaps Phillips expected Percival to ask him how, but the general, despondent about the collapse of his command, really did not care. “They may all go to the bottom of the sea,” he mumbled.
“What was that?” Phillips asked.
“There are two carrier groups operating between here and Java,” Percival said, “and torpedo bombers galore up the peninsula, so you cannot ship them up the Malacca straits.”
“Those two carrier task forces must refuel and rearm sometime soon. Get the two Australian brigades into the city and, as soon as the Japs go home to refuel, we load them up in transports and have them dash out to Perth. If we can get them into the Indian Ocean, they have a good chance of making it.”
“They can take bases in Borneo and sink everything with those two engine bombers,” Percival retorted.
“I also have a plan B,” Phillips said enigmatically.

Later that evening, a flight of Catalina sea planes from Manila arrived in Singapore. Dazed and confused, the pilots requested orders and were told to sit and rest.
“What the truck are we doing here?” the aircrews asked and, gaining no answer, proceeded to the officer’s and warrant officer’s clubs where they were introduced to the delight of pink gin.



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Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
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Post #: 22
Allied carrier raid planned! - 9/18/2015 2:26:38 PM   
kaleun

 

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Honolulu

There were enough scrambled eggs around the table to feed a fair sized regiment. All the flag rank officers assembled with their aides in a room full of smoke and observed a map of the pacific with the approximate locations of the three enemy carrier task forces marked in red.
KB I North East of Soerabaja, leisurely heading north east, presumably into Makassar straits. KB II East of Singapore, heading south west, towards Java. KB III in the Celebes sea, steaming in circles, picking off stragglers from the Philippines.
Sherman pointed at the map, “Here, gentlemen, is an opportunity. All of the enemy’s carriers are accounted for. For the moment, we have air supremacy in the Eastern Pacific.”
Halsey jumped up, “Let Lexington and Enterprise sortie, the battlewagons following and head west, let’s hit the Saipan chain, give them something to think about.”
“Perhaps something a bit more conservative,” Nimitz suggested.
“Let’s wait for Saratoga to join up,” Sherman said, “then we sortie.”
In the harbor, Carrier 1, Lexington, Enterprise, cruisers Portland, Indianapolis, and Northampton, with DD Porter and Bulch formed up. The pilots began to train intensively. The old battlewagons Maryland, W Virginia, Arizona, Pennsilvania, California and Tennessee, with the cruisers Salt Lake City, New Orleans, Astoria, Minneapolis and an escort of Destroyer minesweepers began to make steam.



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Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
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Post #: 23
RE: Allied carrier raid planned! - 9/18/2015 5:12:47 PM   
BBfanboy


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Interesting read! I hope the carriers are not going to be hobbled with the old BBs.

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Post #: 24
RE: Allied carrier raid planned! - 9/18/2015 6:19:23 PM   
kaleun

 

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South Pacific

Suva.
Reinforcements arrived. Originally meant for Canton Island, the 260th, 250th, 131st, and 148 field artillery unloaded together with the 45th Base group. 148th was sent to Nadi, while the remainder of the troops took up defensive positions around the harbor. AGP Niagara disbanded into the harbor. The torpedo boat tender now only needed some torpedo boats to be functional.

Indian Ocean.

“New orders sir,” The radio signalman handed a message to the commodore. He read it and smiled.
“And welcome they are son,”
He turned to the bridge, “Signal all ships head SSW.”
He bent over the map, Sumatra lay to the East. He felt relief. He wanted to take his convoy to Singapore as much as he wanted to get a pole up his, well. Now he would not have to do that. “Cocos Island. Hmmm.”
In the ships behind his light cruiser, the men of the 44 and 45th Indian brigades smoked, unaware of the change of course that might just spell life over death for them.


San Francisco.

A very large convoy steams slowly out of the harbor. Strange ships, weird ships. A destroyer tender, AD Dixie, a seaplane tender AVP Thrush, an ungainly tub, ARD-1, four oilers, an ammunition ship, AE Lasen, three small yard oilers, a minefield tender, and several small local minesweepers. The convoy heads SSW, in the general direction of Tahiti. A long, long trip.



_____________________________

Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu

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Post #: 25
RE: Allied carrier raid planned! - 9/18/2015 6:22:19 PM   
kaleun

 

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Dec 15 41
Philippine Islands.

She was cold in the winter, unbearably hot in the summer, slow, dirty, plagued by innumerable leaks, of oil, of salt water, of cold water, with engines wont to fail, starboard or port, or sometimes both together. It did not matter to Lieutenant commander J.R McKnight. She was his first command. What if she was old, 22 years old, in fact? He loved her, S-36, with all her quirks, with all her failings. Who cares that the skipper’s hands were as oil stained as any of the mechanics. Only 42 men, including officers. He spent more time with a wrench in his hand helping keep the old girl moving than filing paperwork, oil stained paperwork, most of the time.
For the last week, he’d been patrolling off Laoag, up and down, for a whole week of war and he’d seen nothing. Not today. A convoy! Two cargomen with four escorts, a DMS, two Patrol boats and a sub chaser. A big escort for only two merchies. Well, maybe the Japanese had an excess of escorts to spare, or maybe it was a valuable target.
S-36 was too slow to be picky about her target. She maneuvered, deep, in silence, working herself inside the escort ring. The escorts themselves were not too active, pinging with their asdic just enough for the old sub to keep track of their positions.
It was a long, hot, sweaty stalk, but after an eternity, S-36 was inside the escort ring, silently planning up to periscope depth. There she was a xAK A Sidney Maru class ship, in perfect position. J.R fired two Mark 10 torpedoes. He saw the streaks lined up perfectly and crash dived. Two explosions rewarded his efforts, as he evaded with more luck than skill the enemy escorts that set out to look for him. Two hours later, he surfaced his boat in a sea of debris, some of it bearing the sunken ship’s name. Brisbane Maru.







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Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
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Post #: 26
RE: Allied carrier raid planned! - 9/18/2015 6:23:36 PM   
kaleun

 

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Wake Island.

Sentry duty, a necessary job, a boring job. Look out over the empty sea, for hours, and hope to see nothing. No one in Wake atoll had any expectations. There was no way they could resist a determined effort. Not even with the SBD-2 dive bombers that had flown in. Today an unnamed marine, a simple cog in the machine, lifted his binoculars as he’d done a hundred times in the past two hours. There, close to shore, an explosion. He rang the air raid siren before he even looked up at the sky. But there were no airplanes in the blue sky.
“What is it sailor?” his sergeant asked.
“An explosion,” he pointed, “there. I thought it was an air raid.”
The sergeant lifted his own binoculars. There was something out there.
“A submarine,” he said. He picked up a field telephone to call up the shore battery, perhaps they could sink her. The unmistakable shape of a Japanese submarine’s conning tower broke the surface of the water. It was moving fast, not trying to dive.
“It must have hit a mine,” the sergeant observed chuckling, “those minelayers were here just in time.”
The conning tower slid beneath the waves and there was calm on the surface of the sea.
“Did it sink sir?” the eager young marine asked.
“Doubt it; there is no oil or junk that I can see.”
Then, further out, a second explosion roiled the surface of the ocean.
“That must have got him,” the marine said.




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Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
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Post #: 27
RE: Allied carrier raid planned! - 9/19/2015 7:44:23 PM   
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Dutch East Indies
Soerabaja shook under the attack of Japanese carrier planes. The undefended harbor could only hunker down and suffer. There were no fighters to harass the enemy pilots who took their time and selected their targets. When they left, to rejoin their carriers, long dirty columns of smoke rose from many of the ships struck by bombs.
In Borneo, landings at Singkiawang, Miri, and Brunei.

In the Philippines Bayombong, Vigos, and Batangas were seized by the Japanese who were once again repelled at San Fernando.




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Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
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Post #: 28
RE: Allied carrier raid planned! - 9/19/2015 7:44:55 PM   
kaleun

 

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December 15 41


Pearl Harbor.

A map of southeast Asia and the DEI extends on the table. Around the map most of the flag rank officers on the base ponder the positions of the three Japanese carrier forces.
Kido Butai I located to the East of Soerabaja. KB II approaching Java sea from the north west, and KB III in the Celebes sea.
Admiral Nimitz, newly arrived and eager to strike back at the Japanese asks:
“Gentlemen, opinions?”
Halsey slams his fist on the table, “Let’s hit them!”
Rear Admiral Sherman rolls his eyes, after making sure Bill Halsey is not looking at him, “There is a window of opportunity here.”
“We have all of their carriers spotted, in the South East Asia area,” he continued, “We can strike somewhere else safely.”
“Where do you suggest?” Nimitz questions.
“We could try and hit the Marshalls, but that may expose us to long range Betty attack. It would only take one torpedo to ruin our day.”
“Bullsh*t!” Halsey interjects.
Ignoring his outburst, Sherman continues, “The Marianas are too far, and too exposed for us, however there is one target that may be worth the risk.”
Nimitz’s eyebrows rise a fraction of an inch.
“The enemy is bound to hit south, sooner rather than later,” Sherman continues, “A strike on Truk might disrupt such plans, it also should get them to bring one or, probably two carrier forces into the southwest Pacific.”
“That would decrease the pressure on the DEI,” Nimitz remarked. “Our Dutch and Brit friends might appreciate that.”
“Make it so,” the Admiral ordered.
Carrier 1, Lex, Enterprise, with Portland, Indianapolis, Northampton and DD Porter and Balc, under RAdm Sherman will join Saratoga en route from San Diego. Surface combat TF 1 with Maryland, West Virginia, Arizona, Pennsylvania, California, and Tennessee with a spattering of cruisers and destroyer minesweepers departs heading for Midway.



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Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu

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Post #: 29
RE: Allied carrier raid planned! - 9/21/2015 2:19:15 PM   
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Suva, South Pacific.

260, 280, 131, and 148 field artillery arrive at Suva. All dig in except for 148 that sets out for Nadi. 45th Base group also disembarks while the torpedo boat tender Niagara disbands in harbor, although no torpedo boats are available, yet.

Rangoon, Burma.
AVG 1 under Pappy Boyngton has been getting a workout against incessant Japanese fighter sweeps. The aircrews are tired and tired men make mistakes. Reluctantly, Boyngton orders 1st AVG to stand down.

San Francisco.
A huge, slow, and ungainly task force departs San Francisco. Tenders, oilers, ammunition ships and even floating dry dock ARD-1 sets out for Tahiti. It will take weeks, even months for the slow navalcade to get there but once in place, it will make Tahiti a potent base that will allow the US Navy to hold and defend the sea lanes to Australia.
In the harbor, the 34th Infantry Regiment begins to load up on its transports. Rumor is they are headed for Pearl Harbor.

San Diego.
A small flotilla of submarines, S-27, 28, Nautilus, Cuttlefish and Tuna depart the harbor bound for Pearl Harbor where they will refuel and head for Tahiti.

Port Moresby
All the float planes in the base have been seconded to an important rescue mission. Wren detachment will be picked up from Rabaul and transferred to Port Moresby.








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Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
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