RE: Wyndham

RE: Wyndham (Full Version)

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tocaff -> RE: Wyndham (3/5/2010 3:12:19 PM)
July 15, 1942 Off the coast of Darwin The submarine S-44 has been stalking a Japanese convoy for 5 hours and has finally managed to get into a position to attack it. They are approximately 100 miles NW of Darwin. Her skipper is scanning the surface in a 360 degree arc he sees that the only target that they have a good firing solution for is an IJN DD. The exec takes a look and then checks against the silhouette cards that they have. It's a Fubuki and they fire two torpedoes at her. They immediately dive the boat and alter course so that the Japanese hopefully won't find them by simply running down the torpedoes reverse course. The skipper and exec watch the clock and know that now is the time if they are to hit their target. Suddenly they hear an explosion that tells them that their target has suffered a hit. They come up a half hour later and see that the DD is on fire and appears to have suffered heavy damage. Suddenly the sonar man calls out that there are high speed screws approaching them. Without even trying to see the order is given to lower the periscope, dive deep and alter course. The Japanese start the attack immediately and rattle S-44 mightily. She suffers some light systems damage from the attack which lasts for over an hour. Finally they manage to elude their attackers and the men all breathe a sign of relief. Closer in to Darwin PT boats attack an IJN TF in three waves. The first attack scores no hits and a PT is sunk. The second attack suffers the same results, while the third never even gets close and sees a boat get sunk. Ed's report for the day has been submitted and includes: 6.9K troops are at Inch'on 3 AAR is at Tokyo 4 AAR is at Toyama 23 D is at Heiho 3 AD is at Rangoon 37.1K troops are at Chiamussu 12.5K troops are at Mukden 31 HAAB is at Aomori 3.9K troops are at Nagato 31 TCB is at Changchun 4 TankR is at Port Moresby 25K troops are at Sapporo 2 AAR is at Tokyo Pete is hearing all sorts of rumors about Japanese landings happening almost everywhere. He hopes that they are just that, rumors but he has a gut feeling that getting out of Darwin will mean slipping past the Japanese. Well tight spots are nothing new to me, he thinks and continues bagging sand. Benham prosecutes another false contact and the radar set is functioning just fine the officers are told. Bill is in the company of several naval officers that are in the same boat as he is, waiting for their assignments or transport. They talk of many things ranging from new types of planes for the carriers, to faulty torpedoes. The one thing that they all agree on is the need to get into the fight. In China the city of Sian is bracing for a battle as IJA troops are advancing towards it. [image]local://upfiles/22538/0F7F8DE6B4F64353A6C14ADB8E87F682.jpg[/image]

tocaff -> RE: Darwin Braces Itself (3/7/2010 3:11:08 PM)
July 16, 1942 The White House “The European war is going poorly with the Russians on the ropes,” says FDR. “According to reports the first 2 ships of PQ-17 entered Archangel on the 10th and as of the 15th it's final loses were 24 ships sunk. That was about 141,721 tons of shipping, gone. The cargo lost was about 210 planes, 430 tanks, 3350 trucks and 99,316 tons of cargo. We can't afford such loses so I'm going to use this to tighten the screws on Stalin about sharing information and basing rights.” FDR reads on and says, “It says here that on the 12th Army Group North took 30K prisoners in the Volkhov pocket and on the 15th the Germans took Boguchar and Millerovo, less than 200 miles from Stalingrad. I would think that our Soviet allies should be willing to soften their position, given their weakened bargaining position.” The President scans through more of the report and says, “ The Nazis have started to deport Dutch Jews to Auschwitz on the 14th. These are sick people that we're at war with and for the sake of humanity we must be victorious. Now where is that report from Admiral Landy about our Pacific War?” He reads silently to himself. 45 HAAB is at Bangkok 51 AAR is at Bangkok 7 ER is at Mutachiang 14 Mortar B is at Palembang 1.2K troops are at Rahaeng Nanking NG is at Nanking 31 HAAB is at Aomori 1 RAAR is at Kyoto 67 CB is at Toyama 12 AVR is at Singapore 4 RAAR is at Kagoshima “What I wouldn't give for some good news for a change,” sighs FDR as he puts the papers down. Near Darwin the PT boats are again active and in a series of actions against Japanese shipping nothing is accomplished, though no boats are lost. The air war in the Darwin area continues as the attacks on Japanese ships intensifies. The Beauforts prove to be ineffectual, but the Hudson score hits on 2 AP, one of which is burning. Pete is getting nervous because he doesn't want to get stuck her and become a prisoner of the Japanese. He's heard about how horrible treatment of prisoners is and shudders at the thought. He's not a coward, but he's not a hero either. In China the Japanese have built up a force of 94.2K troops at Sian. The Chinese have 161.4K troops of their own in the area and a large battle looms. About 25 miles north of Bulla the 22 DAF BF surrenders to IJA troops. They are herded towards a point where they will be boarded onto a ship to be sent to Burma to work on a railroad. Gunny jogs around the ship as he's trying to kill the boredom of the long voyage to Pearl. Bill goes out with other naval officers for food, drink and some sightseeing in San Francisco. His mind keep drifting to thoughts of Sandy and his command to be the USS Laffey. Convoys continue to sail unobstructed to their destinations delivering the goods of war in an effort to secure the lines of communication between the USA, New Zealand and Australia. The USN is busy protecting these convoys. It's an impossible mission as the area to be covered is huge and to spread one's force to thin is inviting doom.

tocaff -> RE: Darwin Invaded (3/9/2010 5:25:08 PM)
July 17, 1942 The Pentagon Bill Donovan is sitting across from Ed at Ed's desk looking at the report that is heading for the White House. It reads: 81K troops are at Camranh Bay 67 CB is at Toyama 40 CB is at Changchun N China Army is at Sian 18 RCAR is at Toyama 16 AAR is at Manila 53 D is at Kobe 12 NCB is at Osaka 3.9K troops are at Nagato An IJN PG has hit 2 mines and is burning at Palau. “You might want to add that the Japanese are ashore at Darwin,” Bill remarks in a very casual way. “What the hell! How did you, never mind.” says Ed. The two men head off together after an orderly picks up the amended report. Pete is busily at his back breaking job of shoveling sand into bags when Japanese planes make an appearance not far from where he is and they bomb various installations doing moderate damage. “I can't believe that this is happening!” shouts Pete to himself. “There, there laddie,” says an Australian Army private, “Soon enough you can stop fighting the war with your shovel and pick up a rifle instead.” “Great, just what I always wanted to be, an Aussie soldier,” Pete replies glumly. 200 miles north of Darwin submarine S-28 is on patrol when suddenly it's day is shattered by a Japanese ASW attack. They Japanese persist for hours trying to seal the fate of S-28, but today she leads a charmed life and her skipper makes all of the right calls. Gradually they slip away with nothing more than rattled nerves. Things are not good when the hunter is the hunted. The coastal guns protecting Darwin roar as the IJN lands troops. There is a price to be paid for such an audacious attack and the Japanese suffer heavy casualties among their troops. The IJN for it's part has 4 DDs hit repeatedly, 3 of which are burning, two APs are also hit. Allied subs and planes make many attacks on the Japanese shipping, but fail to score any hits. The USN subs continue to be plagued by faulty torpedoes. About 28 miles north of Bulla the Molukken GB surrenders to their Japanese pursuers as they are out of supplies and Japanese forces all but surround them. The Japanese troops are not a forgiving lot as they don't appreciate the chase through horrible terrain and the loses they suffered at the hands of these cowardly men who call themselves soldiers. Bill finds all of the sightseeing around the San Francisco area tedious as he wants to assume his command already. He also is missing Sandy and often finds himself wondering what she is doing at that moment. Every evening he writes another letter to her and the following morning posts it. The Pirates board an empty AK that is sailing to the east. She's riding high in the water as she's empty. [image]local://upfiles/22538/3DB5B6FB7AF04807911802D54E6F806A.jpg[/image]

tocaff -> RE: Darwin Invaded (3/11/2010 3:28:33 PM)
July 18, 1942 The Pentagon “Yes sir. I realize that, but I can only supply you with what I get here. Yes, sir. Uh huh. OK. How about our Soviet friends? Nothing? Really? I can't say that I'm surprised. Yes, the pressure on them is great and I too expect that sooner than later they will come around. OK, it's on it's way within 10 minutes.” Ed hangs up the phone and summons an orderly who sees that the report is on it's way. It reads as follows: Burma Area Army is at Mandalay 5.9K troops are at Takamatsu 57K troops are at Tsitsihar 1 GMB is at Tokyo 5 AAR is at Niigata 1 RAAR is at Kyoto 12 CB is at Mutanchiang 5K troops are at Songhia Submarine activity in the Darwin area has reaped no rewards and Allied air attacks have proven to be futile to this point too. It is strongly suggested that the USN speedily correct the problem with torpedoes. Pete hasn't held a rifle in his hands since he was a boy squirrel hunting. He now holds a Lee Enfield Model 1917 in his hands and is being told that from now on it will be with him always. He and other men who were working on building defensive positions are now infantry. Some of them have seen service in the last war and comment on how back then things were done properly and the damned Japanese were allies of the empire. “You will obey your sergeant's orders at all times if you want to live. He is your mother and he wants to keep you alive as much as he wants to kill the enemy.” The Australian officer drones on for another 5 minutes and then leaves. The sergeant tells the men to relax and that they will be assigned to guarding rear area installations. Pete is in a state of disbelief that things have gotten to this point. At Darwin the Japanese troops continue to come ashore under heavy fire and as a result they suffer heavy losses. An air raid made up of 9 X Zero, 35 X Val and 46 X Kate is met by 12 X Kittyhawk and a furious battle ensues. There are planes swirling everywhere and some of them trail smoke or fall from the skies. As suddenly as it occurred the battle is over and the skies are empty once more. The Japanese lost 2 Kates and had another 3 damaged and 7 of the Vals have been damaged also. The Kittyhawks number 11 when they return to base and the raid itself has done moderate damage to the facilities targeted. The submarine Pompano has been stalking a Japanese convoy for 3 hours and now launches torpedoes at the ships in it. One of the fish slams into an AK and explodes causing fires to be seen. Pompano slips away undetected to reload her tubes and resume hunting. Her skipper remarks to the men in the control room that they are in a target rich environment and must stay on their toes. Another Japanese convoy is spotted by Beauforts who immediately attack it. They manage to hit a DD with a torpedo reporting later that it was on fire and heavily damaged. An AP was also reportedly hit, causing it heavy damage. Back at Pearl Harbor the Palawan starts loading supplies for a convoy that will depart as soon as all ships are ready. The destination is Midway Island. This will mean that Red and Cookie must contact the bank and tell the loan officer that they will return to the bank as soon as possible. All convoys continue operations unmolested by the enemy and operation planners can't believe their good luck. War plans hinge on getting bases up and running which requires that units and supplies reach them and so far so good. No, better than good it's great that there have been no loses. In northern California Dave and Sandy are eating dinner and Sandy tells Dave about her getting another letter from Bill. “You're really stuck on him, aren't you?” Dave asks. “I heartily approve as that young man is going places in this life and after this war is over he'll be a success at whatever he decides to do.” “Dad, right now I just wish he was here with us, safe and sound.”

tocaff -> RE: Darwin Invaded (3/13/2010 3:24:41 PM)
July 19, 1942 Darwin The Japanese troops continue to come ashore and they gradually expand their beachhead. The Australian coastal guns continue their deadly fire and Japanese troops loses today are moderate. An IJN bombardment TF does moderate damage to the base facilities and the shore guns hit a DD and an AS. S-18 is on patrol and detects a Japanese convoy and tries to get into a position to attack it. Finally a night attack is made about 10 miles NE of Darwin. The convoy appears to be comprised of 6 ships and a lone DD as an escort. The sub makes it attack run on the surface and fires her fish at an AP in the port column of the convoy. There are 2 explosions in rapid succession indicating that 2 torpedoes have found their prey and detonated. The hapless AP has suffered heavy damage and fires are raging out of control. The DD fires on the sub as soon as she is detected and scores a shell hit on the S-18 who suffers light systems damage and moderate flooding. The sub manages to avoid any further attacks and is well on her way to Brisbane by morning with her damage control parties working furiously to stop the water from coming into the boat. By the afternoon the pumps are winning the battle against the sea, though diving is still out of the question and they must put more distance between themselves and the battle zone before they can feel reasonably safe. A large convoy is loading in San Francisco while another one that's empty approaches the port. One will leave and another arrive as men and material flow to far flung bases. Another large convoy carrying fuel and combat formations will reach Pearl Harbor soon. As the last of Operation Constellation unfolds troops, supplies and fuel pour ashore at Noumea while another convoy is about 400 miles east of Suva, eastbound for Brisbane and Luganville. Yet another convoy bound for Noumea and Brisbane is about 300 miles NW of Canton Island. In Washington Ed hands his report to FDR who gives it a fast glance. 8D is at Tsitsihar 20 RCB is at Mandalay 113 IJA BF is at Nanking 12 HAAB is at Nagoya 26K troops are at Seoul 4.9K troops are at Kitakyushu 35 HAAB is at Rangoon “Well Ed it appears that our effort to build up LITS is bearing fruit. Except for minor islands that are easy pickings worth very little the easy advances made by the Japanese are coming to an end. Once we get more troops into Australia an offensive will be mounted and I expect that we will then seize the initiative in this war.” FDR offers Ed a drink and Ed clears his throat. “Yes, you'd like to say something?” asks FDR. “Sir, I believe that even with our bases being garrisoned and rapidly built up they are still going to be vulnerable to attack as long as the IJN has it's carrier strike force intact. We will have to bring it to battle and I would like this to happen after we expand the size of the fighter groups on board the carriers. New ships will be arriving in mid September that should also make a difference in a fight. I want to advise you that we should exercise caution as the country's morale will suffer greatly if we lose a major battle at this point of the war.” “Ed, I agree with those thoughts. We do need to start getting aggressive though and if we do get the short end of the stick in a fight at least the other guys will know that they can't run roughshod over us anymore. The country's morale might suffer temporarily but it's resolve to win this war will not waver.” With that FDR hands Ed his drink and the two men silently ponder many issues. Bill is getting antsy as this waiting for his getting the ship command that he's dreamed of seems to never get closer. He stops in operations at the base to see if there's anything for him to do while his wait continues. The answer is the same as always so he heads off to the Officers Club. Cookie manages to get time to go to the bank where he informs the loan officer that he and Red will be otherwise occupied and that they aren't sure when they will be able to return. The bank officer smiles and tells Cookie not to worry about it as the bank won't be going anywhere. Pete and about 40 other men are transported to a location that they are charged with defending. They are told that they will be issued a radio, a mortar, a machine gun and ammunition before the day is over. This is starting to shape up as something Pete has never imagined for himself. The men break up into small groups and take their positions. A short while later food is issued to them, a truck arrives with ammo and a radio but nothing else. “Don't get your hopes up gents,” says a man who served in the army years ago. “They will tell you one thing and do another. We are about as low as you can get on the pecking order so if they have anything to spare it'll go to regular army units first. That rifle that you have will probably be all you'll get to fight with.” A comforting thought thinks Pete, surely there will be reinforcements arriving to help repel the invaders.

tocaff -> RE: Darwin Invaded (3/15/2010 6:35:00 PM)
July 20, 1942 In the Air Over Derby Australian planes roar in on the Japanese occupiers of Derby and are met by 11 Zeros. The raid consists of 1 X Falcon, 3 X Martin and 2 X Beaufort. A Martin goes down and another is damaged while a Beaufort is lost in return for doing light damage to their target. The Zeros suffer a damaged plane in the encounter and they don't pursue the retreating Allied planes. The Japanese continue to land troops at Darwin, suffering moderate loses. The Australian coastal guns continue to roar in disapproval of the invasion and the gunners hit an AP a couple of times causing her to burn. The Japanese and Australians are now exchanging artillery barrages. Pete has been shown how to strip and clean his rifle and he actually has ammo for it too. “How long is this supposed to last? Do we get to practice at all?” he asks. “Those 50 rounds are probably all you're going to get laddie,” answers one of the other men in the group. “Don't be wasting any of it as soon enough there will be live targets to use it on.” “Swell,” mutters Pete to himself and he peers down the road at a dust column that is slowly approaching them. He wonders what is on the way, when will help arrive and how did he ever manage to land himself in this mess. Major General Herring, the commander of the 6th Australian Infantry Division, has gotten orders to move to Darwin 240 miles away. He wonders if his unit will be to little to late or if his lads can really make a difference. Time will tell he thinks as orders are issued and he lets everyone know that tomorrow they will be on the march. The submarine Cuttlefish continues her patrol off of Attu and Kiska searching for an anticipated visit from the Japanese. The carrier Wasp is a day out of Pearl Harbor and the Palawan will be leaving for Midway as she arrives. Back in Washington Ed has just finished today's report. SAA is in Singapore 1 RAAR is at Kyoto 51 AAR is on an AP bound for Bangkok 1.8K troops are at Hakodate 23 TR is at Chiamussu 35 CB is at Tsitsihar 13 MB is at Rabaul 41 AAR is at Changchun 3 NCB is at Nanning 28 D is at Tsitsihar 53 HAAB is at Mutanchiang Ed wonders if there are any subs in the area that can be deployed to Bangkok as a welcome committee. The General Staff is meeting in the Pentagon today and the general mood is good. American troops and supplies are all reaching their destinations on schedule with no interference by the Japanese. The faster these places are secure and built up the faster they can start to swing over to the offensive. All of the men in the meeting are of a similar mind in that they want to seize the initiative in the Pacific and start throwing the Japanese back.

tocaff -> RE: Darwin Invaded (3/16/2010 11:09:51 PM)
I would like to hear from some of you about how you as the Allies or the Japanese won or lost the war. I believe that attacking on many fronts only dilutes what could be overwhelming power focused on a given point. I believe that Allied LBA is the key to winning the war as an advance under fighter cover and bombers leveling bases is the only way to go. I believe that the longer the KB exists the less of a threat it will be when it finally locks horns with the Allied CVs as it's planes become obsolete and it's pilots less skilled as the war grinds on. I believe that the Soviets being active are only a threat at this point and that as soon as they gain strength they should attack. I believe the stalemate in China serves my purposes, for now, and that Chungking must not fall. I believe that cutting Japan off from it's oil and resources is the way to win the war as Japan's industry will grind to a stuttering halt. I believe that I would love to hear from you, my readers. Please share your thoughts. I know you guys are out there so how about sharing your thoughts?

tocaff -> RE: Darwin Invaded (3/17/2010 8:10:18 PM)
July 21, 1942 The Pentagon “Yes, I know and it's already on the way. OK, I'll see you then.” Ed hangs up the phone and asks an orderly if he happens to know the Senators schedule for their next home stand. The reply is that the team is on the road for a long trip and that he doesn't know when they return, but he'll check into it. 20 A is at Heiho 1.2K troops are at Rahaeng 8.3K troops are at Paramushio Jima 31.8K troops are at Mishan 4 AAR is at Toyama 52 CB is at Changchun 18 HFAR is at Myitkyina 23 AAR is at Rangoon 45 HAAB is on an AP bound for Bangkok 103 IJNAF BF is at Yap The Wasp arrived at Pearl today and will join the rest of the CVs operating in the Noumea area. The Palawan left in her convoy bound for Midway today. A Japanese sub manages to put a torpedo into the unsuspecting DD Van Galen near Trimcomalee. The ship should manage to be fixed and then sent off to a repair yard for final repairs. The submarine O23 was attacked by ASW assets, location unknown. The submarine S-23 operating just north of Darwin, spots a convoy approaching and she's in the perfect position for an intercept. Once the transports draw close enough torpedoes are launched and an AP is struck. S-23 slips away in the darkness, her lookouts watching the receding AP that's on fire. The coastal guns at Darwin hit another AP and it's on fire. The Japanese continue to land despite everything and their strength is growing. The defenders need help and soon if they are to hold. Pete and his fellow conscripts are digging deep when they are told to grab their gear as they are going to be shifted to another location. “Sure, we just about get this spot the way they want it and off we go. Hey, do you think we will wear out these shovels?” asks the man next to Pete. What frightens Pete is the sound of artillery seems to be getting louder and that's the direction they're now heading. Cuttlefish continues on her boring patrol. She has been joined by another sub so that the two of them can cover more territory and lessen the chance of a fleet slipping by them. More subs will be sent to increase the surveillance in the area. Troops are readying to depart for Attu and Kiska Islands as the Americans edge ever closer to the Japanese. Bill lies in his bunk staring at the ceiling in the BOQs when more men arrive. These officers, all junior to him, are busily discussing where they will head tonight. They ask Bill to join them and he declines as he's not in the mood for drinking and chasing women. “I tell you he knows somehow. Maybe they smell different, but when Lucky goes after spiders he just knows. Some he makes a face at and hits them with his paw, while others he gingerly bites at and others he just flat out gobbles them up. I don't know which ones are dangerous, but he seems to know.” Red is very animated as he's telling the guys about the dog. “Sure he's the Great Gray Hunter,” chimes in one of the men. They all share a laugh as their card game resumes. The men will have plenty to do soon enough when they are unloading at Midway, but until then if they're not on watch there's not a lot to do. There is a scheduling problem in the near future as ships are supposed to get their upgrades. The demands of the war make it difficult to take ships out of service, but it must get done. All convoys are unmolested and it has been decided that by the end of September the defensive line, LITS, will be as secure as it'll ever be. More troops are being earmarked for action in Australia and it is hoped that by the end of September the last of these units will be on their way there so that the planned offensive can kick off.

Capt -> RE: Darwin Invaded (3/18/2010 5:24:50 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: tocaff I would like to hear from some of you about how you as the Allies or the Japanese won or lost the war. I believe that attacking on many fronts only dilutes what could be overwhelming power focused on a given point. I believe that Allied LBA is the key to winning the war as an advance under fighter cover and bombers leveling bases is the only way to go. I believe that the longer the KB exists the less of a threat it will be when it finally locks horns with the Allied CVs as it's planes become obsolete and it's pilots less skilled as the war grinds on. I believe that the Soviets being active are only a threat at this point and that as soon as they gain strength they should attack. I believe the stalemate in China serves my purposes, for now, and that Chungking must not fall. I believe that cutting Japan off from it's oil and resources is the way to win the war as Japan's industry will grind to a stuttering halt. I believe that I would love to hear from you, my readers. Please share your thoughts. I know you guys are out there so how about sharing your thoughts? I tend to agree. Australia is a waste of men and resources. Japan ought go for Noumea, Canton, Palmyra. Then concentrate the fleet and hope the Allies do not have patience. China, advance on a broad front 'hearding sheep' to avoid being cut off by the Mongol Horde. By 1944 the Japanese fleet is a liability, it will just be sunk for points, unless the Allies have managed to loose a lot by attacking too soon (see para 2).

Marc gto -> RE: Darwin Invaded (3/18/2010 5:32:39 PM)
Todd you pretty much mirror my thoughts as we have played several games...well written aar i really enjoy it

tocaff -> RE: Darwin Invaded (3/18/2010 9:42:07 PM)
A move for Noumea, Canton Island or Palmyra would be a hugely costly move for Japan as that window of opportunity has been closed by the development of LITS. I know that despite my best efforts no single base is impregnable so the plan is that to take anything more gets costly for Steve. The next big move for me will be the use of 4E bombers attacking Gili Gili and Port Moresby. A large land campaign will try to rid Australia of all uninvited Japanese visitors. Once that is accomplished the USN should have enough strength for me to start my offensive, which if all goes well will result in the Japanese being hurled back to their homeland and then getting crushed by an unstoppable air offensive. The idea of an invasion of the Home Islands doesn't get me excited, yet. I'm sure that as I approach them I will start the planning. For now Operations Comet and Constellation have been a huge boon to the Allied cause and the movement of supplies will be the priority soon as these ops come to an end. I'm very happy to be able to survive 1942 and avoid an auto victory when 1943 starts. I got worried that my trading space for time and force conservation plan might blow up in my face. The way things now stand Steve controls a huge portion of the Pacific and he's lost very little in doing it.

flaggelant -> RE: Darwin Invaded (3/18/2010 9:56:00 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: tocaff I believe that Allied LBA is the key to winning the war as an advance under fighter cover and bombers leveling bases is the only way to go. I believe that cutting Japan off from it's oil and resources is the way to win the war as Japan's industry will grind to a stuttering halt. Hey, im kind of reading "the other side" as well, so no real specific input from me, but in comon facts most games work the same anyways. you can pretty much win the game by cutting into the resources in 3 ways; - moving up the pacific upon the LBA path - throwing in the kitchen sink close to the home islands to cut of everything - capture SRA from the south (this is probably what a landing is OZ is to prevent) I havent read/played enough to say which one is the best, but im sure that eventually you'll come up with either one of those [8\|] quote: ORIGINAL: tocaff I believe that the longer the KB exists the less of a threat it will be when it finally locks horns with the Allied CVs as it's planes become obsolete and it's pilots less skilled as the war grinds on. If you just ignore KB they dont lose pilots, so you should put some effort in lessening the xp on the KB. The way i see KB at a later points in the war, KB becomes a reactive force, that attacks other CV TF's that have spent severe aircraft vs land based cap/sorties. The axis players know they get outdated, so they try to make the best of it that way. (at least this was the way of succesfull late war japanese AAR i've read) your AAR is a good read btw!!

gladiatt -> RE: Darwin Invaded (3/18/2010 10:19:04 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: tocaff I would like to hear from some of you about how you as the Allies or the Japanese won or lost the war. I believe that attacking on many fronts only dilutes what could be overwhelming power focused on a given point. I believe that Allied LBA is the key to winning the war as an advance under fighter cover and bombers leveling bases is the only way to go. I believe that the longer the KB exists the less of a threat it will be when it finally locks horns with the Allied CVs as it's planes become obsolete and it's pilots less skilled as the war grinds on. I believe that the Soviets being active are only a threat at this point and that as soon as they gain strength they should attack. I believe the stalemate in China serves my purposes, for now, and that Chungking must not fall. I believe that cutting Japan off from it's oil and resources is the way to win the war as Japan's industry will grind to a stuttering halt. I believe that I would love to hear from you, my readers. Please share your thoughts. I know you guys are out there so how about sharing your thoughts? Well, i am part of the reader, and player, of the "old Witp". Not sure to be the best analyst. It seem to me ALL your points are valid. At least, it is what i seem to experiment in my game. My opponant seem to be willing to use KB before it's teeth get less sharp...but it only fasten the loss of pilots. For particular strategy, i have an idea of how i want to proceed, but i feel i must first "react" to the japanese onslaught where i feel he should not go farther (example: New Caledonia). Once some threat are dealed with, developp my offensive. But that's just my 2 cents.

tocaff -> RE: Darwin Invaded (3/18/2010 11:09:04 PM)
The only limitation that works against me in the game is a house rule limiting the # of planes at a given base to 50 X the airstrip size +10%. I still feel that the IJA and IJN are ill prepared to deal with large raids and once I have enough fighters with longer legs, well you get the drift. I enjoy this bouncing of ideas around, but to those of you reading Steve's AAR, I wouldn't want any intel. For now I'll continue my game of containment, sub minelaying and maybe an off air raid in China or Burma. Any further advance will have to be faced as I can't afford to allow any more conquests other than Broome.

tocaff -> RE: Darwin Invaded (3/20/2010 12:39:43 AM)
July 22, 1942 The White House “Yes, I have it in my hands now and it contains the usual. What I wanted to tell you was that the Stalin has flatly refused us the right to base our troops on Soviet soil. He had a pretty damned good reason for it too. He said that if we put troops at their bases it's expected that the Japanese would attack them. He went on to say that if they have a shooting war with Japan then troops would have to be pulled off the front facing the Germans. Exactly what I thought Ed. Yes, well thanks again.” FDR knows that he can't cut the Lend Lease shipments to the Soviets and Stalin's reasoning can't be argued with, for now. He turns back to Ed's report and sees: 40.3K troops are at Hailar 1.9K troops are at Naha 1 AAR is at Tokyo 68 CB is at Hamamatsu 8 D is at Tsitsihar 10.5K troops are at Etorofo Jima 9 AFCB is at Bankha 102 IJA BF is at Harbin Roosevelt makes a mental note that he wants intel given to Stalin as a teaser. He knows the value of information and wants the Soviet leader to share what he has too. An AP at Bangkok hits a mine and as a result is on fire. The submarine Pompano manages to get into position to attack a Japanese convoy after running along side of it most of the night. They are about 20 miles north of Darwin when one of her torpedoes hits an AP and the sub makes good her escape. The Japanese are still conducting landings at Darwin as the artillery duels continue. The defender's coastal guns scored 3 hits on a DD, a CA got hit once and another CA was set on fire by the 2 hits that she suffered. The IJN bombardment TF managed to do light damage to their targets, but did pay a price. A Japanese air raid did no damage, but it did rattle the men that Pete is with. As the bombs fell Pete was wishing himself to be smaller. His unit has been tasked with guarding facilities at the southern end of Darwin's air field. This isn't the spot that Pete wants to be as it draws to much attention from the enemy. The USN's carriers begin the process of off loading their TBDs and loading the new TBFs. Bill eats his lunch while rereading a letter from Sandy. He feels like he's jumping out of his skin as waiting for the Laffey to arrive so he can assume command of her will never happen. At the same time he's missing Sandy very much. To much time with nothing to do will drive me crazy, he thinks. Gunny can't wait to get off of the ship and feel solid ground under his feet again. “You did what? I thought you told me that your gambling days were over. I can't believe you went ahead and gambled. Damn it Red we need all of our money and losing it won't help.” Cookie is extremely disappointed in Red and he sits down, sighs and rubs Lucky's head. “Cookie, I know that I promised and I won't do it again. I swear it. I do have good news though, I won $137.00 that we'll be putting right into the bank.” Red is smiling and the two just look at each other and grin. The men of the 6th Australian Division are moving towards Darwin as fast as they can. Their officers are pushing for even more speed and the major concern is that the unit will be tired out by the time they arrive. There are additional units that have started to move to Darwin from Alice Springs, Townsville and Brisbane.

tocaff -> RE: Darwin Invaded (3/22/2010 12:25:35 AM)
July 23, 1942 Washington DC With the day done Ed heads for home, stopping for a drink on the way and who does he bump into? “Hi Bill, imagine seeing you here. I guess this isn't a chance meeting is it? Grab a seat and I'll fill you in on what's going on.” 3.3K troops are at Toyohara 19 D is at Mishan 106 IJNAF BF is at Niigata 14 Ind B is at Wyhan 22 AF is at Singapore 248.7K troops are at Sasebo 1.8K trrops are at Haiphong 53 D is at Osaka 4.6K troops are at Hanoi 96.1K troops are at Taan “How am I doing so far?” Ed asks and Donovan shakes his head in amazement. Ed has a photographic memory and nothing escapes him. The two men chat and discuss what's going on in Europe. “Yesterday, the 22nd the Germans opened Treblinka and Belgian Jews are starting to be shipped to Auschwitz. Today Hitler sacked von Bock and replaced him with von Weichs. To date the US has suffered 44,143 killed since this damned war started.” Bill looks into his glass and mutters something about suffering mothers and fathers. Near Darwin the submarine S-34 has her patrol suddenly disrupted as she's attacked by a Japanese DD. She suffers moderate systems damage and heavy flooding, but manages to escape further attacks. Now the long voyage to a friendly port begins while the crew fights to save their sub. Not far from S-34 the S-23 is attacked by IJN ASW assets, but she is unharmed and gives her attackers the slip. An AP is hit by Darwin's coastal guns. The Australian 6th Division is now 105 miles from Darwin. The question in everyone's head is will they arrive in time and will they be enough to hold Darwin until more help arrives? More Japanese troops continue landing at Darwin and the artillery duels continue, with the Aussies getting the better of it. Pete cowers in a shell crater with two other men, all of them clinging to the dirt beneath them as artillery shells land all around them. As suddenly as the shelling started, it ends. One of the men cracks that the Japanese can't lay down an accurate barrage. “In the last war the Germans knew how to properly shell a position. These blokes can't hit anything.” Pete nervously laughs and says, “That alright with me. What I'm afraid of is that the accuracy will get better with all of the practice that their gunners are getting.” The other man says that the intensity of the barrages seems to be growing as yesterday wasn't nearly as heavy as today's barrages. Sandy writes to Bill every day and she checks with Dave at the gas station every morning for a letter from Bill and so that hers can be posted when the mail truck stops on it's run to San Francisco. Red and Cookie are keeping busy as Palawan heads every closer to Midway. The entire crew is worried and their anxiety grows the further west they go. To a man they all feel that eventually the Japanese will throw something at them as Midway seems to be an important base. Lucky has been blamed by Red for tearing another pinup off of the bulkhead. A man passing by holds back his laughter as he knows better. [image]local://upfiles/22538/8D598E72E3184101BF4C04C4D32325A8.jpg[/image] Joan Caulfield

tocaff -> RE: Darwin Invaded (3/23/2010 2:22:39 PM)
July 24, 1942 Darwin “I heard it at HQs, I tell you. When I ran that message over to HQs I heard the clerks saying that the 6th Infantry Division should arrive here tomorrow.” The man slumps down in the bunker and silently sips some water. Pete's companions are excited at the prospect of relief, but for now their hopes are pinned on rumors. Just then a renewed artillery barrage hits their position with increased ferocity. “Can't hit the broadside of a barn from the inside? I think our Nip friends are getting better at pounding us,” says Pete. The men have learned to identify incoming from outgoing shells by the sound and notice that Australian artillery is answering the Japanese. The Aussies manage to get the better of the artillery exchanges today, but more Japanese troops have landed, suffering moderate casualties. Darwin's coastal guns have scored again today hitting 3 PGs, 2 of which are burning and 2 APs, both of which are on fire. At Chungking 12 X P-40E and 5 X I-16c meet a Japanese raid consisting of 101 X Zero and a lone Babs. The Japanese lose 5 Zeros and the Babs limps towards home, her engine coughing. The Allied pilots have fared much worse as all of the planes were destroyed. The Allied loses are unsustainable and the fighters available are not doing well against their foes. Ed sends another report on it's way which reads: 5 RAAR is at Taejon 129 IJABF is at Marcus Island 25 ER is at Sendai 66 NG is at Makin 34 CB is at Tsitsihar 25 AAR is at Nagato 3.1K troops are at Bangkok 23 D is at Osaka 86.2K troops are at Taan Cuttlefish finishes another lonely and bleak leg of her assigned patrol area. The crew are bored and repeated drills are about the only thing to break it up. Tarpon continues towards her destination when suddenly a convoy is spotted. CDR Wallace orders a course change so the Tarpon can use her speed on the surface to get into a position to intercept the unsuspecting Japanese. Once the convoy's speed and heading have been determined Tarpon's course and speed are adjusted. She will spend the better part of the night racing on the surface trying to get ahead of her prey. In Moscow Stalin reads the paper in his hand and smiles. “So our American friends are finally seeing things our way. The reports that identify specific Japanese units confirm our recon reports. This is good. Do we have any other air units that we can spare to send to the east, if so do it. Now if we can stop the German barbarians from further gains we can win this war.”

tocaff -> RE: Darwin Invaded (3/25/2010 3:53:47 PM)
July 25, 1942 The White House “So then it's settled and we shall share pertinent information with the Kremlin and they will send what they have to us. Yes the Pentagon will handle this. Yes, Admiral Landy will be in charge. OK then. Bye.” FDR hangs up the phone and turns to face Ed who has been waiting. “You are now carrying the ball. It's up to you as to what we send to the Soviets and their intel reports will land on your desk. Any questions Ed?” “None that I can think of.” With that Ed heads off pondering the new responsibilities just dropped in his lap. Now the reports will contain more information of questionable value, he thinks. Today's intel looked like this: 2.5K troops are at Kyoto 114 IJN BF is at Hakodate 40.3K troops are at Hailar 15 ER is at Balikpapan 30 SBF is at Port Moresby 7 LCUs are at Mandalay made up of 24920/59/0 There are 65 fighters, 68 bombers and 167 aux aircraft based there also. 7 LCUs at Hailar made up of 28280/328/7 1 LCU at Tabun-Nur made up of 1400/10/0 6 LCUs at Chiamussu made up of 25640/305/8 1 LCU at Arshaan made up of 5460/69/0 Chungking is raided by Japanese planes, 18 X Zero, 60 X Helen and 4 X Babs, and are met by a lone P-40E. The Helens suffer 4 planes lost and 7 others damaged while the Allies lose 6 X P-40E and 5 X I-153c. Negligible damage was done to the base. The Japanese continue to land troops at Darwin and the artillery duels go on in a seemingly endless roar, with the Japanese getting the short end of the stick. The 6th Australian Division, under the command of Major General Herring, arrives and is directed to positions that will be theirs to defend. The AV of the defenders has been doubled by the arrival of these troops. The Australian commanders are happily in a state of shock that the Japanese haven't cut the overland line of communications, yet. There is no word about when more troops will arrive, if at all. Pete's group has been reassigned to providing security for the coastal guns. The men grumble that this is the worst place to be as the Japanese are trying to knock these guns out of action. S-28 runs into a small Japanese convoy near Darwin and promptly puts a torpedo into an AP, which suffers heavy damage and is burning. The sub silently moves away, looking for more prey. The Tarpon has spotted a convoy 75 miles east of Nauru and as luck would have it they lie right in the path of the oncoming vessels. Torpedoes are fired and they believe that an AP was hit by one of the fish. Another dud.....

tocaff -> RE: Darwin Invaded (3/27/2010 6:46:32 PM)
July 26, 1942 Australia The MSW Colac, despite her prior damage from air strikes while she was in port at Darwin, is trying to escape the Japanese. She is about 140 miles north of Wyndham, making for Broome where she hopes to make additional repairs and take on fuel before trying for Perth. A lookout points to the east and he calls out, “The sky is filled with planes and they're all on a course for us!” The Colac can only make 7 knots and she valiantly tries to evade the Vals and Zeros. There are just to many planes, 24 X Zero and 25 X Val to fight off and she shudders as the first of seven bombs rip into her. As the planes retire to the carrier that they came from the twisted, burning hulk breaks in two and both sections slip beneath the waves. The crew has suffered heavy loses, but some have managed to avoid the fires and are trying to swim to a couple of life rafts. Some of the men already on the rafts are doing all they can to paddle to their mates in the water as they frantically gesture and shout, “SHARKS!” The coastal guns at Darwin continue hammering the Japanese shipping as the latter continue to disgorge troops and supplies. The Japanese suffer moderate troop loses today and 3 X PG are hit, all on fire and 2 are heavily damaged. The Australians also have hit 3 X AP, all on fire and 1 heavily damaged. Near Darwin the submarine Pompano manages to make two attacks on a convoy. The first attack was nullified by dud torpedoes, but the sub evaded the escorts in the darkness. On the second attack one torpedo detonated upon hitting an AP, which resulted in fires. Pompano was not as lucky this time as the escorts located her and hammered her for over an hour with depth charges. Pompano suffered light systems damage and moderate flooding, which the damage control parties expect to get under control. The artillery duels between the Australians and the Japanese continued with the Japanese suffering the worst of it. Pete and his cohorts enjoyed the spectacle of the Japanese ships being repeatedly hit by the coastal guns that they are charged with protecting. Now they turned their attention to the perimeter as the word is that the Japanese are moving towards their positions. Suddenly they are caught in the midst of an intense artillery barrage. “Oh crap!” screams a man, “I was just going to go off to the loo!” As suddenly as the shells hit them, they stop. An officer checks the defensive line and discovers that the bunker closest to Pete's position has suffered a direct hit and all five of the men there are dead. He calls for the two positions immediately to the right and left to dispatch two mean each to the destroyed bunker. “What I want you men to do is remove the bodies, fix the position up as best as you can and man the machine gun. I've checked it and it's functional. You there,” he points to Pete, “You are the new gunner. Watch me closely and I'll show you how to kill the Jappos when they come.” Pete watches the officer and when he's asked if he's got it Pete nods. As the officer goes to leave them he shows another man how to load and feed the ammo belts so they don't jam. “You men better clean the dirt off of the ammo so you don't suffer jams.” With that he's off and Pete starts moving shattered bodies out of the position that is now little more than a hole in the ground. He reaches to grab a body and the arm comes off in his hands and Pete immediately starts throwing up. Today's intel report reads as follows: 498.5K troops at Hiroshima 48 CB is at Rahaeng 57 CB is at Rangoon 5 AFCB is at Sinkep Island 9 AvR is at Hailar 3 AAR is at Tokyo 31 AAR is at Sapporo There was another air raid at Chungking consisting of 33 X Zero, 7 X Kate, 25 X Helen and 3 X Babs which was met by 2 valiant P-40Es. The Japanese did light damage to the base and destroyed 3 X P-40E, 2 X I-153c and 1 X IL-4c in return for their losing 1 Zero shot down, 2 damaged Kates and 1 destroyed Helen with 5 others damaged. An advanced Chinese position in the Chungking area was attacked by 98K Japanese troops, who lost 288/17/2 in the attack. The Chinese troops, who numbered 18.8K lost 439/14/0 and retreated towards Chungking. It was only a matter of time before the Japanese went after Chungking and it looks like it'll be a major battle. At Sian the Japanese and Chinese exchanged artillery barrages, both suffering equally. Bill is bored out of his mind, but the Navy has no use for him at the present time so he reads Sandy's letters, writes back to her and gets to know the city of San Francisco.

tocaff -> RE: Darwin Invaded (3/28/2010 7:09:09 PM)
Aboard a B-17 during a training mission a bored gunner pens the following: OUR GROUND CREW Author unknown Here's to the men with the greasy hands Who fuel our planes when we come in to land Who fix the flak damage and stop the leaks Who change the tires and oil the squeaks Tend to the controls and make them fly straight Wait for the planes when the pilots are late Who smooth the scratches, rivet the panels Check "Loud and clear" on the radio channels Who read off the write-ups and make the repairs Check the lines and wires for chafing and tears Who pull the chocks and check the wings And do a million other things That make an aircraft safe and ready to fly So here's a salute to those hard working guys From a group of flyers who too seldom ponder About the men who keep us In the wild blue yonder. This poem was actually penned by a member of the 9th Very Heavy Bomb Group (B-29) based at Tinian Island and upon seeing it I took the liberty of sharing it here with you.

tocaff -> RE: Darwin Invaded (3/29/2010 2:50:05 PM)
July 27, 1942 Washington DC 57.1K troops are at Tsitsihar 3 IndB is at Homan 23 TR is at Chiamussu 54 D Is at Rabaul 8 HAAB is at Mutanchiang 40.3K troops are at Mutanchiang 52 D is at Kanazawa 53 NG is at Wake Island 6.9K troops are at Inch'on 31 HAAB is at Aomori 48 CB is at Rahaeng Ed sends this report on it's way with an attached note that the Soviets have yet to keep their end of the bargain concerning the sharing of intel. He recommends that despite this the US continue to send them relevant information since anything that might help them will hurt the Japanese. He finds it very interesting that now he regularly is getting reports from the European and African fronts. Rostov-on-Don fell to the Germans on the 24th As of yesterday the British 8th Army went onto the defensive after failing to defeat the Germans Today Bataysk fell to the Germans today Ed ponders the course of the war to date and thinks that the Axis powers are doing well while the Allies continue to reel. In the Pacific the situation remains grave, but there is reason to be optimistic as Allied strength continues to grow in Australia for the planned counterattack and LITS is almost ready for come what may. Two new battle wagons will reach the Pacific soon and these fast ships will help in the screening of the carriers. Pete and his new buddies watch as the coastal guns of Darwin hammer Japanese shipping. 2 X MSW are hit, one looks heavily damaged and is burning 5 X AP are also hit with 3 of them badly damaged and on fire The men dive for cover as artillery rounds suddenly start screaming their way into the area. The men are getting tired of eating dirt and vent their anger verbally towards the Japanese and with false bravado say that they can't wait for an attack to come so that they can avenge their dead and wounded. The submarine Sturgeon, on patrol about 63 miles NE of Darwin hits a PG with a torpedo, leaving it heavily damaged and on fire. The submarine Gato is 50 miles west of Sturgeon and hits a wounded PG, but the fish is a dud. O-24 is a further 70 miles west and spots some Japanese ships and fires torpedoes, hitting an AP with 2 of them. Her skipper says that their work is done here, for now, as the AP appears to be doomed as she's burning and very heavily damaged. They continue to stalk the convoy during the day. S-23 spots 2 DDs in her patrol area near Darwin and tries to attack them, but misses. The Japanese ships never even knew they were at risk. O-24 is having a very productive day as she again attacks the convoy and hits yet another AP with 2 more fish. The AP was burning fiercely before the O-24 dove in an effort to evade the angry escorts. Before the Japanese are done the sub has suffered moderate systems damage and heavy flooding. The crew faces a daunting task to save their boat. What does work in their favor is that as the Japanese vessels move off to rejoin their convoy the sun is setting so O-24 can surface. There will be no sleep tonight for the crew. The Japanese continue to put pressure on Chungking's outer defenses and there are several air raids to assist the Japanese troops. At Imphal 34 X Zero and 1 X Babs arrive overhead, but are immediately engaged by 28 X P-36A and 1 X P-40E. In the ensuing melee 7 Zeros are shot down while the P-40E is downed along with 9 P-36As and another 3 return to base shot up. The Allied planes did well, but the air war against the Japanese is not going so good. Attrition is very heavy on the British and their planes and pilots are clearly inferior to their Japanese tormentors. The Palawan's convoy continues on it's way to Midway unmolested. Red has managed to avoid card games, though craps has caught his eye. A new crew member has taken a disliking to Lucky as he forgot to watch where he was walking and stepped in a freshly dropped pile of dog dung. When he sounded off about it other members of the crew shut him up and reminded him that he had been warned about the ship's pet and good luck charm and that he should watch where he steps. The man grumbles and goes below. Everyone aboard the Palawan does his bit to clean up after Lucky, but the new guy refuses to assist.

tocaff -> RE: Darwin Invaded (3/31/2010 8:33:24 PM)
July 28, 1942 Darwin Pete and his pals have just finished eating what must pass for breakfast and are watching the Japanese continue their landings. The coastal defense guns continue to fire and 2 X MSW and 3 X AP are hit. All of the ships seemed to have suffered heavy damage and are burning, but the damned Japanese keep coming. Suddenly a Japanese artillery barrage begins and the men dive for cover. They are all safely in their positions before the shells hit and no sooner than they start exploding the sounds of outgoing shells are heard. The men are tired and silently pray for relief. Since the 6th Division arrived no further reinforcements have come. At Sian the Chinese and Japanese exchange artillery rounds and both sides ready for the expected attacks. In Washington the latest PTO intel report has been submitted. N Area Force is at Etorofo Jima 23 AAR is at Rangoon 146 IJA BF is at Tokyo 15 CB is at Jolo 48 D is at Port Moresby 71 D is at Hungnam 24 AAR is at Nagasaki 52 CB is at Changchun 63 NG is at Port Moresby A recon flight has shown 2 LCUs at Myitkyina made up of 140/7/0 To date there are a paltry 3 Allied aces in the Pacific: FO Crowley flying P-40E for the AVG with 5 kills in 8 missions 1 Lt Tung flying I-16c for the 29 CFS with 5 kills in 31 missions, he has been wounded in action 1 Lt Browning flying P-40E with the 21 FS with 5 kills in 32 missions The Dutch submarine O-23 locates a convoy in the Malacca Straits and presses home an attack. She scores no hits and the escort vigorously attack her upon locating the sub's position. O-23 suffers moderate system damage, but will limp home for repairs. The Palawan's crew is getting as much rest as they can because they should reach Midway tomorrow and the faster they unload their cargo the quicker they can leave for safer environs. Lucky has spent the better part of the evening frantically pacing around the fantail of the ship and nobody knows why. Some of the crew who are superstitious and believe that this behavior foretells of an attack on the convoy while others nervously laugh that notion off, though they can't be to certain of anything. At around midnight one of the men on watch discovers what made the poor pooch so antsy, he was constipated. There is no word for Bill about the Laffey and he's as bored as he's ever been and this waiting is crazy, even for the military. He decides that he'll join a group of other officers and head off to Seals Stadium to catch a San Francisco Seals game. It's a AA minor league baseball team in the Pacific Coast League that's currently affiliated with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The highlight of the game, that will cause more than one hangover among the men, wasn't a baseball game but was that 3 breweries adjoined the stadium: Hamm's, Budweiser and Lucky Lager, so a liberal amount of liquids were consumed prior to, during and post game. Bill managed to keep the group together for the trip back to Mare Island only by pulling rank.

tocaff -> RE: Darwin Invaded (4/2/2010 1:05:24 PM)
July 29, 1942 Washington DC FDR scans the reports and sees that in the PTO the following events have transpired. In the area around Sian the Chinese and Japanese continue to shell each other with the Japanese achieving the upper hand. At Darwin the Aussies and Japanese exchange artillery rounds and here the Japanese suffer more than the Australians. 10 MortB is at Chiamussu 10 HGR is at Tsitsihar 10 CB is at Tsitsihar 57.1K troops are at Tsitsihar 43 CB is at Rangoon 48 CB is at Rahaeng 10.5K troops are at Etorofo Jima 5.8K troops are at Takamatsu 32 HAAB is at Aomori 67 CB is at Toyama Yokosuka 4 SNLF is at Pokhoi Karafuto Mort B is at Shikka Recon flights have shown that there are 2 LCUs at Myitkyina consisting of 9300/119/9 There are reports that the Soviet High Command is now using harsh counter-measures to combat panic and terror resulting from the fall of Rostov. Proletarskaya has also fallen to the Germans. The Palawan begins her unloading at Midway and the crew are overjoyed to see that the Navy has improved the almost nonexistent port facilities. Cookie takes Lucky ashore and they end up visiting with the men that they made friends with the last time around. Lucky of course is only to happy to anoint almost every object in sight to mark the island as his territory. The men laugh about this, but a new Lt tells Cookie to collect his dog and move off. Lucky growls as if he can sense the Lt's feelings and the men laugh it off as soon as the Lt beats a less than dignified retreat. One of the men says, “I don't know how we'll ever win the war with them dumping officers like that on us. We can only pray that he's smart enough to learn from the platoon sergeant before he gets us all killed.” The Tarpon nears her target and the crew is making sure that the mines are ready to go. The men hate having these lethal monsters in their midst and want torpedoes instead. “Subs were meant to be hunters, not hens laying eggs,” remarks a torpedoman. Pete and his unit enjoy a day of relative peace. “Do you think that they will run out of ammo before killing us?” Pete asks nobody in particular. They have endured only 3 bombardments today and compared to other days the intensity didn't escalate. They do hear gunfire erupt from other areas sporadically as both side's patrols must be running into each other and are constantly probing the defensive lines. The Pirates face the daily boredom of the long voyage back to Pearl by relieving the crew of their money in card games. One of the crew members jokingly remarks that the Pirates should be thrown overboard. To foster increased goodwill Will breaks out his last remaining bottle of Famous Grouse and all is forgiven. The ships captain notices the spell of booze on a lookout's breath and mentions that drinking will not be tolerated aboard his ship. Gunny is now in Pearl Harbor awaiting assignment to a unit. He doesn't mind having time on his hands and goes off searching for the Palawan and Red only to discover that the vessels is somewhere other than here.

Capt. Harlock -> RE: Darwin Invaded (4/3/2010 2:13:56 AM)
quote: Pete and his unit enjoy a day of relative peace. “Do you think that they will run out of ammo before killing us?” Pete asks nobody in particular. They have endured only 3 bombardments today and compared to other days the intensity didn't escalate. They do hear gunfire erupt from other areas sporadically as both side's patrols must be running into each other and are constantly probing the defensive lines. Can't help but think that time is not on the side of the IJA -- they're invading a continent, after all. How soon until further Allied reinforcements arrive?

tocaff -> RE: Darwin Invaded (4/3/2010 6:10:26 PM)
I'm sorry Capt H, but if I answered your question it would remove the building suspense about the Battle of Darwin and it's outcome. I will post the next episode either tonight or tomorrow. I am glad to know that it's interesting enough to keep you checking in though.

tocaff -> RE: Darwin Invaded (4/3/2010 7:06:04 PM)
July 30, 1942 Washington DC 16 A is at Rabaul 40.5K troops are at Hailar 70 D is at Nanchang Kwantung Area A is at Changchun 43 CB is at Rangoon 248.7K troops are at Sasebo 143 IJA BF is at Tokyo 5 A is at Tsitsihar 38 CB is at Toyohara Aerial recon revealed that there are 38 fighters, 39 bombers, 58 aux aircraft, 1 LCU and 4 PTs at Rangoon. Near Tulagi the Tarpon attacks some DDs scoring no hits and was driven off as she evaded the hornet's nest that she stirred up. The attack was a huge morale booster for the crew and tomorrow the Tarpon will return to sow her mines. In the sky over Derby the Japanese CAP of 11 X Zero is suddenly jumped by 7 X Brewster 339D on a sweep. The Allied planes dive through the Zeros in a slashing attack and run for home. The Zeros don't give chase, but rather stay on their patrol. Both sides suffered no loses and by some miracle no planes were even damaged. The submarine Pollack patrols about 70 miles NW of Darwin when without warning she is attacked by ASW forces. No damage is done, though the sonar man will no doubt be having his proficiency questioned. At Darwin a Japanese air raid does light damage to the base, suffering no loses. The artillery duels have shifted in favor of the Japanese today. A runner from Pete's unit returns from HQs and tells his mates that he overheard the brass discussing that the Japanese had cut Darwin off from resupply. The men realize just how grim a situation they are faced with and somebody remarks, “Well it's not as if we were getting mutton for supper on a daily basis. Come to think of it we don't get mutton at all. I suppose this means that we'll be getting told to tighten our belts and make our ammunition last.” What the men defending Darwin don't know is that many Allied LCUs are moving in their direction, but will they arrive in time? Today the US Congress authorized the creation of the WAVES. [image]local://upfiles/22538/05559A78D6F3479CAEDE2756F1B9D5E4.jpg[/image] WAVES recruitment poster

tocaff -> RE: Darwin Invaded (4/5/2010 2:59:26 PM)
July 31, 1942 Washington DC FDR meets with his top advisers and the course of the war to date is discussed. The usual presentation of intel reports is covered and the closing of the ETO reports mentions that the RAF bombed Dusseldorf today. The PTO intel looks like this: 40.4K troops are at Mutanchiang 117 IJA BF is at Homan 25 AAR is at Nagato 248.7K troops are at Sasebo 12 IndB is at Changsha 2 RAAR is at Tokyo 1.8K troops are at Gumma 54 D is at Okayama 13 AvR is at Mukden 12 AAR is at Peking 3 IndB is at Homan 67 NG is at Port Moresby 31.9K troops are at Mishan 104 IJN BF is at Osumi Recon flights have shown there are 42 fighter, 101 bombers and 126 aux planes at Rangoon. A CL and 2 X SS are in the harbor. There are 13 LCUs made up of 27940/230/12. Recon flights over Wyndham have revealed that 15 fighters, 17 bombers and 38 aux planes are based there and that there are 2 LCUs of 6560/33/0. The discussion of where the Japanese are going to hit next is a hot debate because no move has been made on the Alaskan area as anticipated and the other group mentions that there is still time before the weather makes things very difficult there. The forward deployment of troops to Attu, Kiska and Amchikita Islands is underway and fortifications will be given priority over the construction of all other facilities at these places. The strategy is to make the Japanese deploy large forces to take a given location with nothing being given up easily. In the air over Derby 7X Brewster 339D are on a sweep and they spot 11 X Zero, just like yesterday, and dive into the climbing enemy. Machine guns chatter and planes vibrate as the Brewsters again slash through the Zeros and continue their dives and return to base. One Brewster has been damaged and the Zeros are untouched. The problem is that the Allied pilots, even with the tactical advantage, are inferior to their Japanese counterparts. The IJN bombards Darwin, doing light damage. Immediately following this Japanese planes appear and drop their loads, doing no damage. Pete and his buddies curl up in their positions cursing the Japanese and praying that they'll survive. Not long after these attacks the artillery starts dropping shells on them. This day isn't promising and a couple of hours later Pete spots Japanese soldiers approaching. He points them out to the other men in the bunker and a runner is sent to warn the other positions. As the Japanese draw closer the artillery barrage stops. Pete is now tracking the Japanese with his MG and lets fly with a short burst at the first troops to rise off their bellies. Pete is doing exactly what he's been instructed to do, firing short bursts. He's humming a waltz to himself to help control his firing of the weapon. “TA DA DA DA DA burst burst burst burst, TA DA DA DA DA burst burst burst burst” and so on. His mates open up with their rifles and mortar rounds fall on the advancing Japanese. A couple of the Australian position are neutralized, but the attack has been repulsed. The men are pleased with themselves, but it's tempered by the loss of some of them. “When do you think they'll try again? Will they send us more ammo? How about something to eat?” are the questions being asked. Back at HQs the reports come in and the picture looks grim. Though the first attack was thrown back the fortifications dropped one level to 6. It appeared that the Japanese threw 52K troops into the attack and lost 1416/27/1 while the Australians numbered 32.2K defenders and suffered casualties of 683/35/0. A Japanese force of 5.1K troops comes in contact with an Allied force of 1.6K troops 250 miles S of Darwin and in the ensuing battle force the Allies to retreat. The Japanese lose 48/0/1 while the Allies lose 28/0/2. Darwin appears to be on it's own for now and will have to make do with what they've got. Allied HQs have decided that the Japanese force will have to be dealt with and then a relief column will march on Darwin. Tarpon returns to Tulagi and leaves her deadly cargo behind her without being detected or seeing any enemy vessels. Palawan continues to disgorge supplies at Midway and the crew jokes that the island will sink under the weight of the supplies being delivered by the convoy. Allied planners want to be able to concentrate elsewhere so Midway is being well stocked now and will be a forgotten base for a while. In India the British air units are busily training and filling out the units up to their full complements. Imphal is being built up for a planned air offensive that will hopefully inflict loses on the Japanese facing them that they can ill afford to suffer. It is hoped that the Spitfires and Warhawks can deal with the Zeros. Gunny is still awaiting his new orders. The Pirates eagerly look forward to reaching Pearl Harbor and maybe getting some news about Pete. Bill continues to be bored and now decides to obtain a weekend pass and a vehicle. Phil continues to drill Benham's crew to keep them sharp as they operate in the New Hebrides area as Noumea, Efate and Luganville are being flooded with troops, planes, supplies and fuel.

tocaff -> RE: Darwin Invaded (4/7/2010 8:20:13 PM)
August 1, 1942 Imphal It's a beautiful day and the CAP of 17 X P-36A and 8 X P-40E have been notified that a large group of planes is approaching from the south. This can only mean one thing so the planes head out on a new vector to intercept the enemy. Suddenly a call over the radio is heard at Imphal, “Tallyho!” The Japanese outnumber the defenders, as usual, with 25 X Zero, 34 X Tony and a single Babs. A swirling battle rages in the sky and the Japanese sweep has done it's job once more as the Allies lose 13 X P-36A and 6 X P-40E at the cost of 1 X Zero downed and 2 damaged, while 2 X Tony were lost and another 3 were damaged. There aren't enough fighters available so what is on hand continues to be used, even if they are death traps. At Darwin artillery shells rain down on the Japanese and Allied troops. The Japanese get the worst of it as the Allies are dug in deeper. Pete and his mates repulse 2 probing patrols and have almost depleted their ammo so now they are hungry, thirsty, tired and worried. The sound of a truck pulling up to their rear is a welcomed sound when the men realize that they are being resupplied. “You blokes wouldn't happen to have anything to lift a soul's spirits would you?” The men from the truck laugh, distribute cold food and water when one of them replies, “Sure we do, but we drank it all on the way over here, sorry. If you're interested the ammo truck caught a direct hit an hour ago so tonight you'll have to make do with what you've got. Things are starting to get tight supply wise so tighten your belts, make the shots count and pray that help arrives soon.” As quick as they came the men are gone, though one of them left a belt of ammo for the machine gun. Back in Washington DC Ed's daily brief reads: 1.8K troops are at Naha 17 RCAR is at Niigata 67 CB is at Toyama 498.5K troops are at Hiroshima 15 AAR is at Nagoya 14 CB is at Lae 4.6K troops are at Wakkanai Ed unrolls a map of the Pacific, the one Bill used to keep track of things on, and stares at it. The telephone rings and brings him back to the present. “Hello? Yes, OK, I'll be there in 5 minutes.” He places the phone back in it's cradle and on his way out of the office informs an orderly that he'll be back tomorrow and that the brief should be on it's way by now. He enters a conference room 4 minutes later and is motioned to a seat. “Gentlemen we are here to settle a little dilemma that has been brought to my attention,” says Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox. “The fleet stationed at Anchorage is due for overhauls and upgrades in October, but we still suspect that the Japanese will move in that area. So after the Navy informed me that the weather in October allows for operations they want to wait until November, when the weather gets worse, before pulling the ships out on a rotational basis. Your thoughts please.” After some discussion it's been agreed that the ships will start their rotation out of Anchorage around the 31st of October and will make for west coast ports for their refits. The thinking is that if the Japanese move on Alaska in the winter it'll be tough on them and comes the Spring a counter offensive could be launched. The Palawan is slowly unloading her holds at Midway and Cookie is kept busy feeding the tired and hungry men. Red's muscles ache like never before from manhandling the supplies into the cargo nets so that they may be hoisted from the hold. It's hot and dirty work and when his watch is over he collapses into a corner with Lucky curling up beside him. They both fall asleep where they are. Suddenly Red is awakened by an alarm and he races to his combat station, manning a fire hose. 15 minutes later the crew is stood down as it was a false alarm. The men grumble about the Navy on their way back to whatever they were doing. Red heads off for a shower and then his bunk as he's to tired to eat.

tocaff -> RE: Darwin Invaded (4/9/2010 2:58:18 PM)
August 2, 1942 Tulagi Area Aboard the submarine Tarpon the crew is grumbling about the dud torpedoes. “What are we risking our necks for?” asks more than one crew member. The sub is making for it's new base, Brisbane, after successfully laying her mines in Tulagi's harbor approaches. At Imphal another Japanese sweep composed of 21 X Zero, 29 X Tony and a lone Babs snooping around arrives and is engaged by 28 X P-36A and 11 X P-40E. After a brief, but intense battle the Japanese retire having lost 2 X Tony. The Allies have lost 9 X P-36A and 6 X P-40E and at this rate will soon be unable to contest the skies over Imphal. It's not the lack of pilots, but rather not enough air frames being available. The men flying the P-36As are constantly complaining about being thrown into the mix with planes that are little more than coffins. At Darwin the artillery duels continue all day with the Aussies again getting the upper hand, though supplies are getting tighter. Pete's nerves are frazzled, to say the least as his unit's position is constantly being targeted. In the skies overhead a Japanese raid of 18 X Zero and 14 X Betty bore in uncontested on their target. The AA manages to damage 4 X Betty, which the men cheer as they watch as best they can while keeping down as artillery shells continue to hit around them. The raid has done no damage, though nerves are frayed by the constant pounding. Before the day is over 2 more probes will be repulsed and plenty of ammunition is distributed to them. The men have a new name for Pete and he kind of likes it, Peppering Pete, as his machine gun constantly peppers the attackers, driving them back. Where is the relief? Back in Washington DC another report reads: 13 Air Flot is on an AP bound for Truk 6.6K troops are at Bonin 49 CB is at Hailar 40.3K troops are at Mutanchiang 6 AFCB is at Taung Gyi 51 HAAB is at Singapore 5.3K troops are at Nagasaki 2 CB is at Chungking 252.2K troops are at Kagoshima 7 CB is at Chungking Recon flights over Wyndham reveal 3 LCUs are there made up of 10420/41/0 Bill keeps trying, but has been unable to get a hold of a jeep so he doesn't even bother getting a pass. He mopes around the base with nothing to do except reread Sandy's letters and write some of his own to her. Palawan continues the slow process of unloading at Midway and the crew can't wait to weigh anchor and put as much distance between themselves and this likely target. The Benham has been ordered to New Zealand where she will undergo a refit and then rejoin the fleet operating out of Noumea. Phil wonders if the Japanese have detected the large naval contingent in the New Hebrides as the American bases there are undergoing a rapid build up. There have been no IJN sub sightings nor have there been any Japanese recon flights in the area that he knows of.

tocaff -> RE: Darwin Invaded (4/11/2010 6:23:38 PM)
August 3, 1942 Darwin “Damn it all!” screams Pete's ammo feeder, “Where the hell did all of our planes run too?” The problem is that the Japanese appeared again and though their bombing did only light damage to the facilities targeted, they were only opposed by AA which damaged 3 of the Bettys. The artillery duels continue and you'd be hard pressed to convince Pete that the Japanese are getting the worst of it. The man turns to Pete and says, “So Pepper, we've stopped another Japanese advance today and our ammo is running low again how long do you figure that we can keep this up?” “'Til hell freezes over, I hope,” answers Pete. What the men don't realize is that nobody has told them to shift their positions and the Japanese now know their locations. This is due to the lack of experienced men in the unit and poor leadership. That night fresh supplies are brought up and Pete's machine gun is replaced with another one. Nobody has bothered to show them how to field strip their weapons and some of the rifles are starting to jam. At Chungking the Chinese exchange artillery rounds with the Japanese and get the benefit of their prepared defenses while the Japanese are out in the open. Sian, on the other hand is a dicey thing as both sides shell each other. Palawan's convoy is still unloading and the amount of supplies on the island “could choke a goat,” or so say many of the men there. In Washington Ed's daily report reads: 15 A is at Myitkyina 3K troops are at Wotje 52 D is at Kanazawa 63 NG is at Port Moresby 4 TR is at Port Moresby 54 D is at Okayama 52 CB is at Changchun 3 Air Army is at Tokyo 21 RER is at Shimuzu Sasebo 8 NLF is at Hanoi 2 D is at Port Moresby 3.3K troops are at Toyohara There are 3 LCUs at Wyndham consisting of 12040/45/0 In Alaska the supply situation is good and troops are about to be dispatched to Attu and Kiska Islands. A screening force of submarines is stationed to the west of the islands and the old BBs are in Anchorage waiting to strike at any invasion attempt made by the Japanese. The RN CVs that have been stationed at Brisbane will sail soon, making their way back into the Indian Ocean to guard against any Japanese attempts there. Noumea is now considered to be secure as there is a reinforced division dug in and the level of supplies will withstand almost any demands made. Some men joke about being “secure” is the kiss of death. The USN is constantly patrolling the New Hebrides, but there has been nothing reported. Where is the IJN?

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