chili614
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Joined: 6/13/2002 Status: offline
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DATE: 19 APR 1942 TO: The Honorable Franklin D. Roosevelt, Commander-in-Chief, US Armed Forces. FROM: General Chili614, Supreme Allied Commander, Pacific. SUBJECT: State of the War. Mr. President, Enclosed is summary of the State of the War in the Pacific Theater of Operations. WESTERN COMMAND West Coast bases continue to act as supply and reinforcement points for the war effort. Infrastructure build-up continues and no reports of enemy activity thus far. CANADIAN COMMAND Canadian Forces are building at their Pacific Bases, but Canadian units have not yet been committed to the arena as there is still significant political pressure for the Canucks to send more units to Europe. NORTHERN COMMAND No enemy activity has been detected in the area thus far. Building and reinforcement of the new base on Kiska Island continues. FAR EAST COMMAND All Allied naval forces were withdrawn from the area at the outset of hostilities. Many naval units have been reassigned to the SOUTHWEST PACIFIC COMMAND in preparation for our forthcoming counter-offensive. United States and Phillipino ground forces continue to hold Manila, Clark Airbase, and the fortress of Corrigedor. Supplies are critical as our attempted resupply mission fell pray to enemy airforces in the South China Sea and was destroyed. These brave defenders have fought with great skill and honor, but our assessment is that they will not be able to remain effective through the end of the month due to the lack of supplies. Orders are being crafted to break up the remaining units into Guerrilla cells to harass the enemy until we return. ABDE COMMAND The Islands of Borneo and Sulawesi are now in possession of IJA forces. Landings at Kudang and Amboine have also given the enemy forward bases for continued advanced into the Dutch East Indies and New Guinea. A Japanese carrier battlegroup ranges unmolested in the Java Sea, but Java and Sumatra continue to hold. Dutch naval forces have been utterly destroyed and the few reamining units have been relocated to Singapore. These Dutch forces, in conjunction with Commonwealth and United States Naval Forces, fought with great bravery and were able, through hit and run tactics, to inflict great injury upon the overwhelming IJN invasion forces prior to there destruction. SOUTH PACIFIC AND SOUTHWEST PACIFIC COMMANDS Forward bases in Noumea and Suva continue to expand as jumping off points for our couter-offensive. Recon and ASW flights continue and enemy activity has been sparce. AUSTRALIA COMMAND Air raids at Darwin continue almost daily with minimal damage. Port Moresby continues to be reinforced and expanded. The Japanese drive down the Solomons seems to have stalled in the Shortlands when our carrier raid on Rabaul sunk many fully loaded transports. The Lexington took a bomb hit which will put her our of action for a month or so, but the raids were very effective. CENTAL PACIFIC COMMAND Intelligence reports have confirmed that the submarine attack on the Akagi by the USS Nautilus eventually caused the carrier to be lost enroute to port. It also reports that those lost successfully defending Wake Island did not die in vain, build up at the base continues and an advanced submarine base should be operational in a month or two. The seaplane base on Baker Island is providing excellent reconnaisance of the Gilbert Islands. The carrier raid on Kwaljein damaged or sank many vessels but the USS Enterprise suffered a torpedo hit. This fine ship is almost completely repaired at Pearl Harbor. All US Battleships damaged during the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor are available for operations although more system repairs are required for them to be totally effective. The USS Colorado will still require several more months of repairs in San Francisco until she can head back out. CHINA COMMAND The Chinese attempt to relieve the seige of Hong Kong failed when they were unable to seize Canton and Hong Kong fell to IJA forces on January 28th. Chinese forces are currently not conducting any offensive operations and Japanese movement has been limited. SOUTHEAST ASIA Commonwealth Forces quickly concentrated in Rangoon and Singapore at the opening of hostilities. The initial attack on Rangoon was thrown back by the timely arrival of Indian forces and Commonwealth Forces were able to mount a counter-attack in the region. Currently, Burma, Siam, and most of Malaysia have been retaken. The defenders of Singapore have held out well and it now appears that the destruction of the IJA forces besieging the fortress is near-at-hand. Additional Commonweath Forces are threatening Phnom Penh and the removal of the Japanese from Indochina seems inevitable in the short term. Aircraft from Singapore have also reported the sinking of two Japanese Battleships, the Haruna and Kongo, as well the the destruction of the light carriers Zuiho and Shoho. The concentrated airforces at Singapore have also sunk in excess of one hunded Japanese transports and other escort vessels. OVERVIEW I do not see any way we will be able to relieve the Phillipines prior to there supplies running out. Although a tragedy, these defenders have bought us singificant time and bogged down over 100,000 Japanese troops that could have been used elsewhere during this trying time. Singapore should be relieved in a matter of weeks and these units currently defending the fortress available for offensive operations in short order. Current United States buildup of forces will allow us to begin limited offensive operations within two to four months. Respectfully submitted, Gen. Chili614
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