Canoerebel
Posts: 21100
Joined: 12/14/2002 From: Northwestern Georgia, USA Status: offline
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2/13/42 and 2/14/42 Brad wrote, "Now we can begin phase two" when he sent the email for the turn of the 13th. This was in reference to the fall of Singapore, I suppose. I wrote back, "How did you know that I was embarking on a phase two?" Then, with today's turn, I wrote, "Embarking on phase three." Wishful thinking. Oz: A Japanese force of unknown strength is landing at lightly guarded Cooktown. This is the last essentially undefended hex on the East coast. Cairns has a decent garrison, so if he comes further things will begin to get hot. Meanwhile, my main concern is the status of the reinforcements convoys approaching from west and east. Both groups are doing fine with no signs of danger yet. The Japanese also landed at vacant Merauke. No signs of a move on Darwin yet. Brad will backfill there. India: Japanese recon are taking a peek at Christmas Island, south of Sumatra. No sign of moves on Port Blair or Addu Atoll yet. The Allies are trying to sneak single-ship xAKL TFs into Port Blair to speed up the evacuation of the troops that arrived there by air transport. The air evacuation from Malaya and Sumatra went pretty well, mostly because Singapore held out longer than expected. I need another ten days to get the Burma army out of the jungle and to base hexes where they will be useful, but I should have that long. I transfered an Indian brigade from Hyderabad to Vizagapetum (spelling?). Hawaii: Quiet here. Reinforcement convoys bound for Hilo (coastal artillery), Pearl Harbor (artillery), and Christmas Island (infantry battalion, engineers, and coastal AA) are loading at San Diego. Carriers: Hornet just arrived at East Coast. She'll proceed to Capetown, as will a CL and DDs that just arrived at Balboa. Enterprise is one day out of Capetown where she'll join the other three American CVs. Indomitable is two days out, where she'll join Hermes. The Allies can move a consolidated carrier force out of Capetown if the need or opportunity arises. However, I think the "fleet in being" is working very well. I don't think Brad has any idea where the carriers are - and he shouldn't. He's not boldly sending forward invasion TFs in far-flung places as he would if he felt safe. If this assessment on my part is accurate, I would do well to leave my carriers at Capetown until he reaches the point where he says, "The heck with it. If he's not going to show his carrier, I'm going to fling caution to the wind until he does." China: The Chinese have a three-hex MLR east of Sian. Brad has bumped up against it, but hasn't tried an attack in any of these three hexes, all forested, yet. He's taken Kwangchoan, Pakhoi, Wuchow, and Kukong to the southeast, but these were lightly defended or vacant hexes. He hasn't moved on the MLR (Changsha, etc.) yet.
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