RE: Port Moresby

RE: Port Moresby (Full Version)

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tocaff -> RE: Port Moresby (8/27/2009 12:33:08 AM)
April 18, 1942 Intel has placed 213K Japanese troops at Changkufeng, 249K at Sasebo and 39.6K at Mutuanchiang. 36 Zeros sweep Imphal, suffering 1 downed and a Babs on recon is damaged by the CAP of 3 Hurricanes, 2 of which never return to base. There are landings at Pomala, which is assaulted and falls. The landings at PM continue. An aide enters Bill's office and hands him a comm, shakes his head and leaves without saying a word. Bill looks at the paper and his heart sinks. Port Moresby has been assaulted by 64.6K Japanese troops and the 8.6K Allied troops fight bravely but are swept aside and the base falls. The Japanese loses number 367/7/1 while the Allies lose 6377/61/1. The following units have surrendered: 4 Dutch Brigade PM Defense Brigade Lark Force Battalion 112RAN BF Well, Bill thinks to himself, that cuts it. The big wigs certainly have got to draw the proverbial line in the sand now and turn the tide. He resumes his reviewing of the day's comms and discovers that the only speck of decent news has been supplied by S-23. The sub has attacked an AK and scored 2 torpedo hits and 1 shell hit. The AK sinks about 55 miles SE of Gili Gili. He calls an orderly and hands him the packet of comms to go upstairs. He asks that the orderly stop by Admiral Landy's office and let him see the packet before it gets to Amiral Leahy's office. The Palawan is undergoing some light work to her plumbing system as it appears that some pipes are suffering from failures and nobody appreciates broken waste lines from the head. This problem was discovered by none other than Lucky, who was nosing around and was drawn to the odor. Cookie was looking for the dog to give him a snack and that's how the problem was discovered. The crew agrees that they are indeed a charmed ship as this problem surfaced in port and could easily be attended to. Benham's crew is again tearing things up as some of them awoke this morning in the brig. It seems that some Army troops on leave and the crew members had some less than friendly words which led to a fight. Phil has told his buddy in SP to just let the men rot for a day or two and then to release them, at which time he will deal with them. Phil lays out his plan to his skipper and LCDR Worthington smiles and says, "If this doesn't reel in these trouble makers then nothing will. A couple of days in the brig and then to be released only to draw some paint chipping detail will make any sailor less than happy, especially when others are getting liberty. Those on liberty should also get the message and if not you and I will have some explaining to do to the powers that be why we can't control our crew. They're a good crew at sea, but in port they need to be shown the light." The submarine Cuttlefish is readying for a patrol out of Anchorage. AKs and TKs are loading in SD, LA and SF where they will form into one large convoy. Troops will arrive at Dutch Harbor in a day or two. The eastern seaboard of the United States has been ordered to blackout in an attempt to thwart the German subs.

tocaff -> RE: Port Moresby (8/28/2009 1:23:57 AM)
April 19, 1942 The Dutch sub KVIII stalks and then attacks 2 Japanese APs loaded with troops 50 miles SE of PM. She takes an overlapping shot at them and 1 torpedo slams home setting it's victim on fire while 2 others hit the other AP leaving her heavily damaged and burning. The KVIII wisely runs to evade the hornet's nest of escorts she has stirred up. Near Teloekbetoeng Dutch bombers score 2 bomb hits on an AP setting it ablaze. Bill decides that if he ever runs into any Dutch military men the drinks will be on him. At the White House FDR is listening to various reports concerning the various plans in effect to deal with the many problems faced by the Allies in this war. "So what you all are telling me is that we need more ships, planes, tanks and just about everything else under the sun if we want to survive this war. I'll tell you this gentlemen, we will win this war as sure as I'm sitting here. Our factories are churning out all they can and new ones are being built. Ships are being built and the yards are expanding their facilities. You, gentlemen, are tasked with finding a way and a place to turn the tide using what you've got. We must survive this year without further major set backs. We must show the American people that we can and will win this damned war. I want you to go ahead with the Wake Island operation and build up the SWPAC as planned. Maybe we can get our Australian friends to join us in an operation that would utilize Timor to disrupt the Japanese plans. As for our screaming Russian friends..." Stalin again asks about the readiness of his troops and when they'll attack the Japanese. The answers are not to his liking and he changes his attentions towards the fight against the Germans.

tocaff -> RE: Port Moresby (8/30/2009 2:37:41 AM)
April 20, 1942 A quiet day in the Pacific as the only thing of note was 12 Oscars were intercepted by a Hawk 75A and 2 Brewster 339Ds at Palembang. One of the Brewsters never got home. Bill leaves the office and gets home just as the telephone starts to ring. He answers and to his surprise it's Elaine. After a few minutes of idle chat she says that she'd like him to visit Pittsburgh again and that her parents would be more than happy to have him. It's one of those open ended invites with no particular time set so he says that he'll see what he can do, but with a war on and being in the Navy it's doubtful that he can get away any time soon. Cookie is reading a book and everyone who sees this is keeping their shock to themselves as the first crewman to make a joke got cuffed. Red approaches and asks, "What cha reading Cookie?" Cookie looks up and shows Red that it's a book about dogs. Cuttlefish is heading west on her dreary patrol. A large convoy is heading for Brisbane and a smaller one will detach and make for Suva with troops and supplies. Benham's rowdy crewmen are released from the brig and upon their arrival aboard the ship they assemble before the Chief. He reads them the riot act and informs the men that they've earned the honor of endless work details. The Chief adds that he will take it very poorly if any of the men repeat their dishonorable behavior. One of the sailors mutters that the Army boys had insulted the Benham and that started the fight. The Chief later relays this info to Phil who says, "Be that as it may Chief we just can't have our crew running around getting drunk and in fights all of the time." The Chief agrees and mutters something about his ship's honor as he leaves.

tocaff -> RE: Port Moresby (9/1/2009 8:48:05 PM)
April 21, 1942 Bill has seen the latest intel reports and wonders where the Japanese are getting all of these troops from. 71.3K troops at Heiho and 59K more at Harbin are the latest reports and this doesn't even take into account units spread across the Pacific in lonely locales such as the 7 NLF at Wake Island. The Wake report will be welcomed by the staff planers for the attack planned for there. In the meantime the Japanese have shelled a vacated Myitkyina, which should fall tomorrow. The Chinese are moving, very slowly, that way in the hopes of retaking it and dealing a sting to the IJA in Burma. There was a monthly report on the status of the Allied Pilot Pool in the Pacific that's going upstairs with the intel and comms today. Palwan sits idly awaiting new orders to load and sail off to some far flung island. Meanwhile Lucky has managed to invade the crew's mess and is now sick to his stomach from eating to much. Red is lucky enough to be on a detail helping out in the engineering spaces so that cleaning up after the dog has fallen to someone else. Benham is a marvel as she's become a beehive of activity as Phil keeps finding more ways to keep the troublemakers busy. The skipper jokes that maybe they should try for a dry dock so the men can scrape the keel. This of course won't be afforded to them as all repair facilities are working day and night to upgrade lots of the fleet before the Wake operation that they know nothing about. A large convoy will sail from San Diego to Los Angeles, gather more ships and then make for San Francisco. From there a huge convoy will sail for Pearl Harbor and then plans call for the invasion of Wake Island and then possibly yet another island, yet to be determined, if all goes well at Wake. This op will serve the USN with the opportunity of live fire training. Ed sits quietly on the sidelines of yet another White House meeting wondering why he's there. One General is talking about the situation on Malta and how the British delivered 46 Spitfires there yesterday and as of today almost all of them have been destroyed on the ground, never getting into the air. Another speaker, named Donovan, talks of German Jews being banned from using public transport. This Donovan guy impresses Ed and he's determined to talk to him when the meeting breaks up. Upon the end of the meeting Ed makes his way towards Mr Donovan and introduces himself and is told that there is no time to talk at the moment. Ed is ready to turn away and leave when he's invited to join Mr Donovan for a late meal. They leave the White House and climb into the back of a nondescript Hudson and are driven onto Pennsylvania Avenue. "To cut to the chase you can call me Bill and I'll be calling you Ed, if you don't mind," he says as he extends his hand. Ed takes it and replies, "OK Bill, sounds like you're mind kind of guy, no crap." The two men dine in a private room at a small eatery in the Georgetown section of DC. Over dinner they talk about the intel from their European Allies, the British. Ed admits to knowing little about what's going on in Europe as the USN has been busy with the Japanese. Donovan smiles and says that the two of them should touch base on a regular basis to share information, especially since Ed has the President's ear and even more important a nose for what's going on before it hits the fan. Ed agrees to this as he thinks that more information can't hurt, besides he's rapidly taking a liking to this man. [image]local://upfiles/22538/584A4E7F1AEB4864B517E44FA0225CD9.jpg[/image]

tocaff -> RE: Port Moresby (9/3/2009 1:33:31 AM)
April 22, 1942 Reports place the 48 Division at PM and Myitkyina has fallen. Bill yawns, calls for an orderly to take these scraps of info upstairs and announces that he's heading for home. It's been a long and uneventful day. A couple of small convoys have or will soon reach Australia. A very large one in on the way there too. Orders are being cut to send 2 RCTs and an artillery unit to Alaska within the week. It's doubtful that any more LCUs will be heading in that direction after this for a while. Planners are casting their eyes around the Pacific wondering what dot on the map would make sense following the Wake op. One island in particular is geeting the eye, but troops ordered to prep for it are still in California. Transport, there's never enough to do all that you want. Steve will be heading out in a few days with his family for a vacation that will last about 4 weeks so that his AAR will grind to a halt and this one will get sparse contributions from me as I'm only about a week behind the game. Thanks for reading and I'll try to keep it alive during our "truce".

tocaff -> RE: Port Moresby (9/5/2009 1:19:52 AM)
Steve has headed off to discover the interior of Australia with his family so our war won't resume until the beginning of October. I know for a fact that he's really a Japanese spy getting the lay of the land prior to his invasion. I'd like to throw open this AAR and invite you guys to rip into me about my conduct of the war thus far. I've made rookie mistakes, but hopefully learned from them. I'd appreciate your thoughts or suggestions. Tomorrow evening I'll be back with our installment covering the 23rd. Right now I've got to feed Lucky and take him for a walk as Red is at a bar getting himself in trouble.

tocaff -> RE: Calm before the storm? (9/5/2009 11:47:07 PM)
April 23, 1942 Bill looks at his map on the wall and mutters to himself, "We're gonna need more pins. Maumere, Maumere, Maumere there you are. Now you've been invaded too. Damn...." He knows that things have slowed down lately, but has a gut feeling that this is just the enemy catching his breath. An orderly places a few more comms on his desk and Bill leafs through them thinking that there's nothing of any great importance, but one does catch his eye. It seems that the ML Gouden Leeuw has been hit by a torpedo about 100 miles SW of Diamond Harbor and he wonders to himself if the crew can win their fight to save their ship. Ed exits his staff car and a man approaches him and asks Ed to please come with him as Mr. Donovan would enjoy his company for dinner. Ed climbs into the back seat of a now familiar Hudson and off they go to a small restaurant where Bill Donovan is waiting. "Glad to see you Ed," he says and continues with, "I wanted to talk to you about all of these intel reports of Japanese troop concentrations. What do you make of them and how can we find out about the disposition of the IJN before they blindside us with it?" Their discussion goes on for hours as there doesn't seem to be anyone other than them in the establishment. The meeting ends with ideas exchanged and leads given to be explored. Ed leaves, again in the Hudson, and wonders to himself if FDR has tipped Donovan about him or someone else in the White House when it suddenly hits him that it's possible that his old pal Admiral Leahy could be working behind the scenes here. Captain Riker, of the CA Houston, is getting antsy awaiting orders as his ship is ready to sail and the crew is getting soft with all of this time in port. The submarine Cuttlefish sails westward on her patrol through the Aleutian Islands. CDR Hottel wouldn't mind new orders sending them south out of these frigid environs. Capt Demesa passes the word for the crew to square things away on shore as sailing orders can be expected soon. Lucky seems to be growing by the day, his hunger never seeming to be satisfied. Elaine is still enjoying working at the USO in Pittsburgh, because when you think of it the whole country is suffering from a shortage of young men to mingle with while she has hit a gold mine of them. [image]local://upfiles/22538/48E42911D83C47DDA0A07A5F7635255B.jpg[/image] William J Donovan

tocaff -> RE: Calm before the storm? (9/8/2009 9:18:48 PM)
April 24, 1942 Bill has sent the day's comms and reports upstairs and he's just rolling things over in his mind and wonders, as usual, when things will improve. He starts ticking items off in his head: 187K troops at Saipan. The Dutch sub KXVIII attacked by IJN ASW assets near PM. Chungking swept by 67 Zeros, of which the CAP of 11 P-40Es and 15 I-153cs downed 5 and damaged 2 others that left smoking at the cost of 8 P-40s and 10 I-153s destroyed. Maumere fell. Imphal was attacked by 22 Bettys and 20 Helens and were met by a CAP of 13 Hurricanes. The Japs had no escorting fighters and lost a Betty and 5 Helens, while 5 more Helens were reported as damaged. 3 of the Hurricanes were damaged in the battle. The Cuttlefish continues on her frigid westward course through the Aluetians. Four USN CVs at PH are to undergo upgrades prior to the Wake op and should commence these refits in about a week. The Russians are continuing to shift troops and planes prior to their planned attack on the Japanese. It is hoped that the IJA garrisons have been weakened in favor of Japan strengthening their China force, but no recon has been allowed for fear of alerting the Japanese.

tocaff -> RE: Calm before the storm? (9/10/2009 3:25:54 PM)
April 25, 1942 Bill scans the intel reports of Japanese troop dispositions and notes that there are supposed to be 86K men at Kiungahan. The 16th Division is reported to be at Rabul along with the 21st Engineer Regiment. Ed stops by and Bill relates the day's activites to him. "97 Zeros swept Chungking, lost 2, while the CAP of 9 P-40Es and 3 I-153cs never returned to base. Not 1 damned plane survived! 35 Zeros swept Imphal and were met by 9 Hurricanes. The Japs lost nothing and the Brits never got home. Again not a single airframe survived. The 153 USA RCT is ashore at Dutch Harbor and supplies are being unloaded there now." "How would you like to grab a bite to eat in Georgetown tonight?" asks Ed. Bill wonders why there as it's out of the way, but says OK. Ed tells him to swing by his office in about 2 hours and they'll leave then. Cuttlefish slowly winds her way through the Aleutians. Her biggest enemy is the freezing ocean spray that encrusts the lookouts in ice. CDR Hottel has cut the length of time the men stand to their duties topside in an attempt to prevent any problems with these horrible conditions. Troop transports continue to sail towards their destinations and once there are given orders to sail for Pearl Harbor as the planned attacks will need lots of lift capacity. The next problem will be executing recon without tipping our hand. Bill and Ed leave the Pentagon and are met at the main entrance by a Hudson which whisks them away to a certain little restaurant in Georgetown. Upon entering Bill Donovan greets them and proceeds to ask about intel in the Pacific. Bill looks to Ed for a clue as to what's going on and Ed explains who the gentleman is and that it's OK to share the information. The meeting continues over their meal and then Donovan tells Bill that the car is waiting for him out front and that it'll take him anywhere that he'd like. Ed remains behind and the 2 men take a walk, shadowed by some of Donovan's people. Donovan says that Ed was right and that Bill would be a valuable addition to anything he's assigned to.

Marc gto -> RE: Calm before the storm? (9/10/2009 7:32:21 PM)
Nice aar Todd

tocaff -> RE: Port Moresby (9/12/2009 12:35:44 PM)
April 26, 1942 This being Sunday, Bill has finally taken a day off from the depressing toils of life in the bowels of the Pentagon. He's lying in bed when the phone rings, snapping him out of his dreamy state. "Hello. Yes this is he. OK, I'll be ready." He hangs up the phone and jumps out of bed, grabbing a quick shower and dressing in civies for the first time in a long time. He bounds down the stairs and there it is, the Hudson from the other night. A man opens the rear door for him and says, "Good morning sir. Mr. Donovan will be pleased to confer with you over breakfast." Bill enters the car and finds today's newspaper, which he glances at only to see things that he already knows. A short drive brings him to his destination and he's ushered into the large house where he's shown into a room where Bill Donovan awaits him. "Good morning Bill, how are you?" "Fine sir," replies Bill who is a little mystified as to what Bill Donovan could want with him. His question is answered when another car arrives with Admirals Leahy and Landy. They all sit down and are served a hearty breakfast, over which they talk of the war and the need for more reliable intel. Finally Bill is asked is he's interested in participating in forming a group that will tasked with gathering and analyzing intel specific to the War in the Pacific. It'll be a huge task given the scope of the area involved and working with our Allies will be bumpy at times he's told. The bad news is that if he takes this assignment he'll be giving up the chance to serve with the fleet aboard a ship. "Take your time and think about it Bill," says Donovan who continues with, "An answer before you leave would be helpful though." A chuckle from the two admirals does nothing to stop Bill's head from spinning. "By the way you've been officially promoted to the rank of Commander effective tomorrow," Ed says as he shakes Bill's hand and pats him on the back. Admiral Leahy smiles and adds that, "It's a fast track to trashing a naval career and getting into the business of spying on the other guy." The men finish their meal and Bill prepares to leave asking, "Where do I report for duty tomorrow?" He's congratulated on his decision to join them in this venture. The lack of activity due to Steve's vacation is leading me to rediscover my life. My other PBEM will be on hold for a week or so as my opponent will be hiking the Grand Canyon. A week to a week and a half with not turns! Gulp!

tocaff -> RE: Port Moresby (9/14/2009 7:32:43 PM)
April 26, 1942 (continued) "Yes Franklin I know all of the roadblocks that'll get thrown in our way.� We'll either run them over or go around them.� I don't give a damn about what J Edgar Hoover wants.� Yes, I know....it's all about America and her Allies defeating their enemies.� Well you've already got an Army general and a Navy admiral working on the project.� By the way I think that this new agency will need to have a name that won't point fingers at us.� OK then I'll be there tomorrow afternoon.� See you then."� Bill Donovan hangs up the phone and tells Ed, "I'll bet you never thought that you'd end up working on a project like this one, did you?� I'd appreciate you being at the White House for my meeting as he values your opinions.� How does this sound for a name?� Office of Strategic Services.� Forming this outfit will require stepping on lots of toes as the powers that be will want to protect their turf.� Once Franklin is sold on the idea he'll drag everyone into line, kicking and screaming." San Francisco is seeing a massive build up of shipping as it beginning to look like more than one convoy is forming there. The submarine mining campaign goes on with the ports being mined being kept as random as possible in an effort to tie down as many MSWs as possible, while bagging a victim here and there. Cuttlefish continues her icy voyage with nothing spotted. Captain Riker, of the CA Houston, will be attending a meeting of officers of his rank and higher concerning the upcoming offensive operations later today. The readiness of the ships going to be involved is the concern of this meeting. Anything needed by the proposed participants will become a priority. Palawan swings idly at her mooring with no word as to what her next mission will be.� Red has taken Lucky ashore for a good run and instead meets a rather attractive young lady walking her dog who asks about Lucky since he's so unique looking.� Of course a conversation starts about dogs as most dog owners love to talk about their pets, sespecially when they are of the opposite sex.� She invites Red to her home for lunch and introductions are made.� Her name is Rita and Red is more than a bit interested in her.� They walk along with Lucky playfully nipping at Rita's dog, who isn't interested in playing with the puppy at all.� This makes Lucky even more aggressive and Rita's dog snaps at Lucky, just missing.� Red makes his apologies and says that as the two dogs don't seem to get along maybe he'd better just go his own way.� "Nonsense," says Rita, "This is my parent's dog and I'm only visiting with them."� Red replies, "Even so I've got a whole crew of men who would string me up if anything happens to Lucky.� Thanks for the invite, maybe I should just take a rain check and your phone number."� She relents and gives him her number, which Red promises to call and they say their goodbyes. The crew of the Benham have their ship looking spotless and have been on best behavior, to the relief of the ship's officers.

tocaff -> RE: Port Moresby (9/17/2009 1:35:15 AM)
April 27, 1942 Monday morning finds Bill reporting to a new office inside the Pentagon. Ed pops in and with a smile on his face says, "Good morning Commander Smith. How are you this lovely day? Have you seen the comms from our old digs yet?" Ed hands papers to Bill who reads them: 252K troops at Kagoshima. 57 Mortar Battalion at PM. 88 Zeros swept Chungking (lost 2) and were met by a CAP of 10 P-40Es (8 destroyed) and 3 I-153cs (none of which survived). The Japanese landed on Thursday island. Ed and Bill discuss the possibilities concerning the Japanese plans. Cookie is preparing stew for any of the crew who choose to eat aboard tonight and while he's working on it a thief quietly enters the galley sniffing the air and heads directly to the meat. By the time Cookie turns around the meat is gone. He hears slurping and sees Lucky gorging himself and screams, "You four legged demon, I'll get you for this!" They both take off and of course Cookie is immediately lagging far behind so he gives up and goes back to making the stew. Later that night one of the crew remarks that he's never had a vegetable stew before. This draws a dirty look from Cookie who is stroking Lucky's head. There is a meeting at the White House and Bill Donovan is in a heated argument with J Edgar Hoover while General George C Marshall and Secretary of War Henry Stimson sit at a table going over plans together. FDR is wheeled into the room and tells Donovan and Hoover to calm down so that the business at hand can be dealt with. "Besides," FDR adds, "The last time we looked there's was a war going on and we don't need any infighting, do we gentlemen?" [image]local://upfiles/22538/BEE61391B0214529B4402A76D451C073.jpg[/image] General Marshal and Secretary Stimson

tocaff -> RE: Port Moresby (9/19/2009 1:36:39 PM)
April 28, 1942 Bill contemplates the events of the last few days and wonders what it all will mean for him. For now he's been formally transfered to Naval Intelligence, been promoted and given an office with a window. The window helps buoy his spirits as Spring has arrived in DC and even the damned depressing intel reports and comms can't damper that. He continues his reading : 36 Zeros sweep aside the CAP of 3 Hurricanes, all downed, like they weren't even there and Imphal lies open to air attacks that luckily never come. 12 Oscars sweep Palembang, losing 1 plane to the Dutch CAP there consisting of 1 Hawk 75A and 3 Brester 339Ds, all of which return to base unharmed. It's a shame that all Japanese fighters aren't Oscars and that the Dutch don't have a greater military presence in the area as they're warriors, Bill thinks. Thursday Island has fallen and with it the increased risk for passing subs once the Japanese install the expect ASW air assets there. If the Japanese do indeed have those intentions it'll take a massive effort on their part to build a small airstrip, otherwise a seaplane tender would be exposed to Allied bombers. Time will tell..... Captain Demesa gets notification that his ship will be taking part in the Wake operation and with any luck others to follow in the CENPAC area. Of course this is secret information and very vague at best because what he's privy to is just that Palawan should be made ready for future ops and that she will be given priority for any work that she needs to have done. The Tarpon was scheduled for a patrol, but she's been replaced by another boat since her chief engineer had reported to CDR Wallace that there is a troublesome vibration being made by her propulsion plant. Some of the Palawan's crew are out for a night on the town and in walks some of Tarpon's men. One of them says in a very loud voice, "Look what we have here, why it looks like a fish to me. How the hell are you Red?" The bar owner relaxes immediately as he realizes that the men won't be causing any trouble. Red orders drinks for his rescuers and they proceed to trade stories of what happened and what's been going on since then. Red may be only 17 years old, but he's matured way beyond that due to what life has thrown his way since the war started. Bill Donovan has another meeting with FDR, though this is a one on one with nothing to interrupt them. FDR has agreed that the creation of the OSS will go forward, but it'll take a month or 2 to drag everyone in line so that Donovan will have to be patient and try not to step on toes for now. He's to begin making a list of who he will be needing to staff this new organization and then he can hit the ground running. In the meantime Admiral Landy will be assigned to assist him in any way possible, but FDR says, "I reserve the right to recall him to duties here assisting me at any time so don't send him out of the DC area. If somebody is needed to be a gopher use that bright young lad, what's his name?" Donovan interjects, "CDR William Smith, sir." "Yes, that's him," replies Franklin, "He's your boy for now, though of course it's not official."

tocaff -> RE: Port Moresby (9/22/2009 4:04:57 PM)
April 29, 1942 Ed and Bill are having lunch together and Bill is relating the news of the day between bites. "The submarine Argonaut was attacked by IJN ASW assets near Masbate Island and luckily she lived to file the report that only some rattled nerves resulted. 63 Zeros attacked Chungking and were met by 10 P-40Es, 9 I-153cs and 6 I-16cs that were on CAP and scrambled. 3 Zeros were downed and 1 limped home trailing smoke while 6 Warhawks, 8 I-153cs and all of the I-16cs were destroyed. Imphal was swept, yet again, by 32 Zeros and were greeted by 2 Hurricanes, 1 of which never got home. When the hell are we going to start hitting back or at least do something other than suffer these daily shellackings?" Ed just sighs and says."My boy, that's something that only a very select few could answer and even then they might not know. It hasn't dawned on many people yet that we could actually lose this war if we act in a rash manner and get our heads handed to us. Of course the flip side of the coin is that if we remain this cautious the Japs will attain all of their goals and we'll be hard pressed to push them back once they are prepared for our inevitable offensive." Cookie is sitting on the pier where the Palawan's new parts are being loaded so that repairs to her can be finished and he remarks that a can or 2 of paint would also be useful for the old gal. Cuttlefish continues westwards on her frigid patrol, spotting nothing. Elaine has thrown a fit and her father tries to calm her down. "It's your fault for keeping him out so late. What did you expect the Army to do to him for breaking regulations? He'll be spending this morning being marched around the flag pole in his "free" time thanks to you. Don't you understand that these men are here to train so that they know what to do when they are shipped off to fight this war? They aren't here for your entertainment and you've got to understand this and stop getting them in trouble or your boss at the USO club won't let you near the place. It's time that you grew up." Harry gives Elaine a hug and softens his voice, "You know that soon he'll be sent overseas and there'll be plenty of more young men arriving here." Elaine just smiles at her father and nods her head in agreement. The Dutch fleet continues it's journey to Perth as it's been forced to sail around Oz to join with the rest of the Allied fleet assembling at Brisbane.

Marc gto -> RE: Port Moresby (9/23/2009 1:56:12 PM)
Poor Elaine...maybe the Dutch could invade wake..

Marc gto -> RE: Port Moresby (9/24/2009 6:43:11 PM)
Todd i had a girl like that who made me late for drills lol memories....

tocaff -> RE: Port Moresby (9/24/2009 7:14:27 PM)
If the Dutch invaded Wake they'd carry the day as though they're losing the war they do put up one hell of a fight. The Army Air Corps did march the men around the flag pole for minor violations. I'm sure Elaine wasn't the only girl who caused someone problems. New update on the war will be posted after the dog and I go for a hike. We're about 1 week or so away from Steve's return from vacation and as of May 1st I run out of war news. The bad news is that about a week after that I'm off on a getaway myself. The hotel is supposed to have WiFi, but here in Brazil that doesn't mean it'll be working. I hope to get a turn a day done while I'm away over drinks and might even post a few updates while I looking for a suitable beach house for sale. [8D]

tocaff -> RE: Port Moresby (9/24/2009 10:47:32 PM)
April 30, 1942 Bill is finished reading the papers that crossed his desk today and broods over them: There are 169K troops reported to be at Truk. He wonders if these are to be used for an offensive aimed at Australia or into the Solomon Islands. 71.5K more troops are reported to be in Heiho. Imphal was raided today by 36 Zeros, 24 Bettys and 46 Helens (1 downed and 4 damaged) and all that flew against them were 3 Hurricanes, of which 1 got home. Artillery duels continue at Palembang as the Japanese prepare for the inevitable assault against the beleaguered Dutch colonial forces. Yesterday the Belgian resistance destroyed the Tenderloo chemical works. Today Hitler hosted Mussolini to set the Axis strategy in North Africa. Bill's mind wanders to more mundane thoughts as he thinks of the baseball season that's under way. Last year the New York Yankees won the World Series 4-1 against the Brooklyn Dodgers. To bad Washington DC has the also ran Senators as he'd love to take time off and go see a game one of these days. Players are flocking to recruiting offices for the various branches of the military along with the flood of young men from everyday walks of life. So many have volunteered that they are actually being turned away. They'll be called soon enough, he thinks. The phone on his desk rings and snaps him back to reality. "Yes, this is he. I'll hold. Yes sir, dinner will be fine. I'll leave the office then." He looks at the clock and sees that he's got 2 hours to kill so he heads off to visit with Ed. At Pearl Harbor the refits are virtually finished on all of the ships and orders are given to bring 2 carriers under the workmen's tools effective 1 May. PBY squadrons are dispersing to their new bases as the USN tries to cover a huge swath of ocean with airborne eyes. Pilots continue training at a feverish pace, but they'll be thrown into combat soon enough and the brass knows that the air crews will still be relatively green, at best. Bill enters the familiar Hudson and is whisked away. He wonders where Ed was as his office was vacant. Upon arrival at his destination he enters a now familiar restaurant and is greeted by Bill Donovan. "Have a seat Bill, the food will be out shortly and there's something that I'd like to ask you." Bill replies, "Thank you sir. If you don't mind my being frank, each time we talk I find myself heading in a new direction. What's on the coals now?" Donovan laughs and says that the worst is yet to come. Over dinner Bill is asked if he would be interested in establishing a command and control for the coast watchers being used on many islands in the Pacific. "Of course you can say no, but I'd appreciate it if you did this on top of your other duties." Bill readily agrees and is told that he'll be meeting with various people once he arrives in Australia. Air transport will be supplied to him on a VIP priority basis and he'll be able to bump just about anybody that he needs to. A letter from FDR will be given to him the day before he leaves on his journey informing all concerned parties that they are to give Bill or his staff all of the assistance and information that he requests of them. "I'd like to assign somebody to tag along with you as your driver, for security purposes. He'll report to you on the day of departure, of which my people will inform you as soon as everything is arranged. Get your affairs in order because you'll be leaving soon and be gone for a while. Thanks for your help Bill." With that Donovan excuses himself and leaves. Bill is driven back to his (Phil's) apartment and he goes to bed, unable to sleep.

Marc gto -> RE: Port Moresby (9/25/2009 2:30:38 PM)
Looking forward to the next turn...

tocaff -> RE: Port Moresby (9/28/2009 12:43:29 PM)
I'm looking forward to it also. On a more serious note I will post the next day's entry this afternoon. I'm pleased to report that I had a very busy weekend and now I can get back to gaming as my other PBEM's opponent has returned from his hike of the Grand Canyon. Oh yeah, Steve should return in a week so his AAR of our war will be reincarnated with the dastardly Japanese view and turns will start to flow again.

Marc gto -> RE: Port Moresby (9/28/2009 1:33:24 PM)
if you have time for another todd..let me know mate..

tocaff -> RE: Port Moresby (9/28/2009 8:38:10 PM)
May 1, 1942 Bill has spent the day reading comms and intel reports and has made a promise to himself that he'll do his best to keep up with these even as his travels take him to far flung outposts. He wants to know when the tide begins to shift and participate in spotting anything that may be of help. In the meantime today was another one with little happening, but there's always a calm before the storm. 752K troops reported to be at Kagoshima. 88.1K troops are supposed to be at Pescadores. 86.2K troops are at Taan. A summary of Allied pilot status is in the pipeline. Imphal suffered 2 air raids and offered no defense other than AA fire since the British have withdrawn their fighters from there for now. Sinkep Island was swept by 11 Oscars and were met by 3 Hawks that were on CAP. 1 Hawk limped back to base. Artillery duels around Palembang continue to rage as the Japanese prepare for the impending assault. There has been heavy fighting around Leningrad and the siege of Sevastopol continues. The phone rings and Bill answers it. "Sure thing, sir. I'll be there in about 5 minutes." He hangs up and decides that tomorrow he'll get his old wall map and bring it to his new office. Time to go as he walks into the hall and heads for Ed's office. "Yes sir, but what we need more than anything else are engineers and ground support for our planes. OK, I'll see you then." Ed hangs up and greets Bill with a large grin and says, "Are you busy or can you spare a little time for me over dinner?" Bill is starving as he skipped lunch for an intel briefing today so they head out of the Pentagon where Ed's staff car is waiting for them. The two men enter the car and are driven away. A gruff looking man in an ill fitting suit in the front passenger seat turns and asks, "Admiral, sir if it's OK with you I'd like to introduce myself to the Commander. Sir, I'm Gunnery Sergeant Ralph Gaffney and I'll be accompanying you in your travels until further notice." Bill is surprised, but smiles and replies, "Welcome aboard Gunny." Due to a building violent Tstorm I'll have to resume this later.

Marc gto -> RE: Port Moresby (9/28/2009 9:47:38 PM)
come on storm end already......

Capt. Harlock -> RE: Port Moresby (9/29/2009 1:13:11 AM)
quote: Artillery duels around Palembang continue to rage as the Japanese prepare for the impending assault. Do the Allies have any engineer units ready to sabotage the oil installations?

tocaff -> RE: Witing for the Japanese (9/29/2009 12:31:48 PM)
The Tstorms were violent and I've already had one computer get toasted so I tend to be cautious now. Sabotage of oil installations that the Japs already hold? Actually I hope that my Dutch units did enough of that to be a little bit of a problem. What's available in India and China that I still hold are not going to fall, I hope. I believe that Steve is digging in and will launch a second thrust towards the SWPAC and possibly Oz. We'll know soon enough, though if he's building up in China I'll have some problems dealing with it. A major thrust into India is a slow and difficult thing to do overland and as long as the USN has CVs I believe that Steve is reluctant to send the KB to cover an amphibious assault there. May 1, 1942 (continued) Bill sees that interservice co operation is possible as the Armed Forces all seem to be represented in Mr. Donovan's fledgling organization. Why not, he reasons, if the Great Britain and the USA can ally with the Soviet Union anything is possible. Pearl Harbor is a busy place as troops train, ships repair and aircraft are constantly flying, weather permitting. In Auckland's harbor a large convoy is forming for a return run to Pearl. Aboard the Palawan her crew speculates as to where they are heading next and with what. Repairs to the ship continue and the crew has taken up the task of training Lucky to do tricks. He responds best to Cookie's efforts as what dog is constantly on the lookout for food? Cuttlefish continues westwards, spotting nothing. It has been decided that since PBYs don't have the range to reach Wake from Midway that a squadron of Coronados will shift to Midway and conduct the recon. Hopefully this will not tip the Japanese as to the Allied intentions. [image]local://upfiles/22538/99C5E093E2CD4BB493DB784FD4997C1E.jpg[/image] Allied Pilot Summary as of May 1

tocaff -> RE: Witing for the Japanese (10/2/2009 12:22:12 PM)
NEWS FLASH! Steve has been in touch as he has returned from his vacation and I hope to see the war resume today.

tocaff -> RE: Witing for the Japanese (10/3/2009 6:54:14 PM)
Steve has decided to bring his AAR up to date as a means of getting back into the war. This means that he hopes to kick out a turn tomorrow so until then there's nothing for me to do except wait. May 1, 1941 (continued) Gunny and Bill will depart tomorrow morning, by train, with a destination of Dayton, Ohio. From Dayton they will fly to San Francisco on a B-17 that's being ferried to the Pacific war from the plant. The two men confer late into the wee ours of the morning. "Sir," says Gunny, "What most people never even think of is that in tropical areas the clothes will rot right off of you and radios don't last long so I'd suggest that we consider setting up a resupply system for our existing operations before starting any new ones." Bill replies, "Gunny that sir stuff isn't needed between us so just call me Bill. Your thoughts are noted and we'll do what you suggest. Maybe we can get to Brisbane and set up a system of resupply using subs that'll be passing by our sites." Bill reaches into his pocket and finds a sheet of paper that he meant to give to Ed, but forgot. It contains the following information. [image]local://upfiles/22538/A5B71CFAD8EE45AFA5960CA31A387878.jpg[/image]

Capt. Harlock -> RE: Witing for the Japanese (10/4/2009 3:54:58 PM)
Looks like a nasty surprise waiting at Midway.[sm=innocent0009.gif]

tocaff -> RE: Witing for the Japanese (10/4/2009 8:23:51 PM)
A nasty surprise at any of the islands forming my defensive arc that protects Pearl Harbor, not just Midway. Troops are being positioned into more forward positions as Allied strength grows. Of course the Japanese are capable of taking any of these islands from me if they want to. I want to make them suffer for what they take as it's a war of attrition and I'm just in survival mode at this point of the game.

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