currahee55
Posts: 173
Joined: 10/28/2000 From: Amarillo, Tx, USA Status: offline
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Against the Japanese AI, I'm holding Rabaul rather firmly on March10, '42. The Port is at 5, the AF at 4 and growing; 70 US and 16 Aussie fighters in place, with adequate avn spt; and the ground firmly held by 2d Marine Div and 1st Australian Div. Shortland is held firmly by US 26th Inf Div. I'm now eyeing Tarawa and Kwajalein. Well, it was tough for awhile; sent in Lark, Sparrow and Gull, reinforced by 3d Australian Tank Rgt, and held on by skin of teeth; Aus I Corps arrived to give staying power; and finally, most of 1st Austr Div. Some (perhaps 1/3 to 1/4) were on transports that got damaged by subs, and retired to Townsville to recuperate; eventually set out again for Rabaul, most of them made it, some drowned as one transport went down. Part of 1st Austr reconstituted in (of all places) San Francisco, probably because I'd assigned the Div to Southwest Pacific. The defense of Rabaul also required some daring surface forays out of Port Moresby, but it all worked out. Rabaul is head and shoulders above the other bases in the area, and it's put the AI on the defensive. Big key is getting US help out there asap, via Noumea, steering way around the Gilberts. Having just read Darkest Hour, I was determined to try to hold Rabaul.
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