Bax
Posts: 129
Joined: 8/9/2002
From: Rochester, MN
Status: offline
|
June 9th, 1942
Dear Uncle Toshiro,
It was good to receive your communication yesterday. It sounds as if things are as busy at Truk as they are here in Rabaul! It is surely good news that the 2nd and 38th Infantry divisions have arrived safely in truk without incident. I am sure they will crush any enemy forces they come into contact with. I understand that you can't tell me where and when they will be deployed, but it fills me with great anticipation for the near future.
I must tell you about a fierce air battle that took place over Lae yesterday. That re-supply convoy sent from Truk last week has finally arrived at Lae, and so far has been unmolested by the Allied air units. Not that they didn't try, mind you! In a huge air battle lasting most of the day, my friend at the Lae air base estimated that over 50 enemy land-based bombers based at Port Moresby, escorted by at least 50 fighter escorts, approached Lae harbor in an attempt to sink the convoy. Our Zero units assigned to protect the convoy pounced on them from very high altitude, since the American P-39's and Australian P-40's don't perform very well at high altitudes.
In an epic and very bloody battle, our CAP of aproximately 55 Zeros were able to shoot down at least 40 enemy aircraft, with countless others damaged. I am unsure of how many Zero fighters failed to return to base, but it must have been a significant number. My friend said that the sky was full of zooming airplanes and the noisy chatter of machine guns and the barking of cannon. Planes were bursting into flame, cartwheeling from the sky in a last, lazy dance until they plunged into the jungle below. Others were seen to splash into the sea, making great gysers of water. Parachutes were too numerous to count from all the Allied fighters whose pilots bailed out. Our anti-aircraft guns were throwing up thousands of rounds into the sky. Thick black smoke covered the harbor at day's end. My friend said is was the most exciting thing he'd ever seen in his life.
The most important thing of all is that the convoy was not hit by any bombs! Imagine, all those bombers and not one hit!
I must restrain myself, however, because I fear the battle is not over. The convoy is now docked at Lae harbor, and must be unloaded safely. This will undoubtedly take days, so many more battles like this may take place before the convoy safely sails out of reach of the enemy. I wonder how many fighters the Allies have left with which to protect their bombers with. It can't be many after yesterday's battle. And what remains must be highly fatigued!
Perhaps this will mark the end of the stranglehold placed on Lae from the Allied bombers in the past week. If nothing else, it will prepare the way for invasion of Port Moresby soon. Of course, I do not actually know what the high command is planning for Port Moresby, but if I were in command, I would make it a top priority to capture Port Moresby and use the air base there to isloate us from the mass of Australian soldiers that must be sitting in Australia, just waiting to attack us. But, who knows? Perhaps the Army high command would rather cut PM off by capturing Townsville, Cairns and Cooktown. And what of the solomons area? There are truly many options open to the army. I hope that the navy and army can work together to surprise and bloody the noses of the Allies.
One thing is clear. Even I understand that any major invasion must take place soon. We cannot wait around and let the American economic juggernaught take the initiative.
The only questions that remains are, when? And with what? and where?
I suspect we will discover the answer very soon.
Goodnight Uncle, I hope your work at headquarters is going well and that your efforts will be rewarded with a victory in the coming days.
I am at peace tonight, I think I will write a haiku for you, since I know how much you enjoy them....
White clouds in the sky
enemy planes fall in flames
tonight I sleep well
|
Printable Version
- 
- 
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread