RE: Letters from a Prime Minister

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1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/5/2016 12:37:01 AM)
April 25th General Blamey smiles. A chance, at last. "Send the following to the Prime Minister........Americal Division has safely arrived Port Kembla. I am taking immediate command of it for offensive operations', stop."" He can almost here that idiot Mac Arthur scream from here............

1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/5/2016 7:59:40 AM)
April 25th Kodiac They come, imperious, line ahead. Fuso, Yamashiro, 2 light cruisers, 4 destroyers. They sail as if they own these seas, as if nothing would dare challenge this weight of steel, this hammer seeking its anvil. Admiral Scott knows they are coming. Knows that 6 inch guns are all but useless against that steel. Useless, useless unless you can get in close, very, very close. Incredibly, under the half moon, he does. The action, this brawl, this knife fight, opens at 1000 yards The range never exceeds 4000 CL Helena, Honolulu , 4 DDs, spitting fire, curses and hate. Yamashiro stumbles away, 2 fish in her belly, upper works ablaze. Helena, DD Close are blown apart. Honolulu can fight on. Fuso vanishes into the dark, abandoning her Sister. Dawn will soon come. She must close the field. Must.

1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/5/2016 8:04:11 AM)
April 25th At the other end of the world From Callaghan to Pacific Fleet CA's Louisville, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, 2 DD, have engaged CA Myoko, 1 DD, Noumea Enemy CA sunk Nil damage to my task force Mine field Noumea seems to have worked wonderfully.

Mike McCreery -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/5/2016 3:06:53 PM)
BRAVO!!!

1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/6/2016 2:18:18 AM)
April 25th Dawn Fuso bombards Kodiac airfield. And misses. She turns for home, running from squall to squall, using every piece of cover she can find. 100 miles to the south West, Yamashiro does not have that luxury. Crawling at 5 knots, she cannot chase anything. Kodiac too, is socked in, the rain lashing the field, turning the moonscape of Fusos shells in the hills above the field into miniature dams. But one flight does get away. 30 plus P39's find Yamashiro in the grey muck. They cannot, short of suicide, harm HER. The escorting destroyer however...... Again, and again they sweep in, shredding the little ships topsides, killing crew, turning her interior into a charnel house. The rain soon thickens, hiding the horror. Exultant, (for this was their baptism) the pilots claim both ships sunk. The dive bomber pilots nod heads in agreement, and congratulations, and turn back to readying their planes. If anyone is going to finish that buggar off, it will be them.

1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/6/2016 2:29:07 AM)
25th April Dusk Kalgoorlie General Blamey stands outside the tent, inside loud voices, excited voices. Good. very good. "Gentlemen, may I enter?" The tent , as large as it is, is crowded. It is filled with rough beds, clothing, boots, the 101 items a pilot needs to fly. One glance, yes, already this tent begins to show signs of permanency.... The tent falls silent, the men leaping to attention, or attempts to. "Ät ease men, I am looking for a Warrant Officer Hachett" A tall, thin fellow rises. "Sir?" ""I just came to shake your hand .......apparently you are our first ace, they tell me you got three today" The tall man smiles, as if surprised at the news "Apparently sir, oscars" They shake hands, and the silence becomes awkward To break it, Blamey makes an announcement "I am withdrawing the wirriways men, they don't seem to be much chop. 9 Group is sending more fighters, you won't be alone much longer. Keep it up.If this place falls, Australia falls. If it holds, we win, win big.......

Lowpe -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/6/2016 3:35:42 AM)
Just excellent descriptions of combat! Hurrah for Helena and Honolulu! Wow.[sm=happy0065.gif]

1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/8/2016 8:38:06 AM)
April 26th Billy Mitchell could not have done it better. A large, burning, slow moving battleship, a calm sea. Visibility superb. Yamashiro's AA wasn't the best to begin with. Now most of it is scrap. Yes, Billy could not have done it better. 11 wildcats keep the half dozen zeros busy, 6 Vindicators put Billies theories into brutal practice. 2 bombs strike. And they wont be the last 2 squadrons of Dauntless fly into Kodiac today. The smoking wreck will still be in range tomorrow.

blueatoll -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/8/2016 5:13:57 PM)
Your bold and aggressive early days strategy prompted me to adopt a similar one in a game versus the AI I just started. I'd always been hesitant to burn out engines with full speed orders but not this game. Multiple sessions of 2 weeks in port for refits is well worth the 10,000+ troops, 50+ xAKs of various sizes, 2 CVs (Akagi & Hiryu), 2 CVLs (Shoho and Zuiho), 3 BBs, and assorted CAs, CLs, and DDs I've sent to the bottom (and it's March 1, 1942). After a major success by the IJN at Pearl, USN ship losses have been moderate while a whole bunch of HMS ships that were scheduled for withdrawal are in the Deep 6. The CVs & CVLs were pounced on by 12 ship HMS cruiser TF after hitting a minefield off Batavia. Thanks for making me think about this game differently in the AAR.

1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/9/2016 9:44:40 AM)
April 27th Parliament house Some time near midnight. "What will you do about her Frank?" The tired man looks aghast at the Speaker of the house, as if the question had never occurred to him. "Do? what the hell do you mean do?" The speaker shrugs......."everyone in the house knows about it, its only a matter of time before the press does" The answer is venom filled......"What the hell do I care, half the country under enemy hands, our entire Army in peril, a mad general in charge, no friends, what in the hell do you think I should do?, drop all that for her!!!"

1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/9/2016 9:48:31 AM)
From Former Naval Officer to POTUS We are in a pickle......I understand that half the carriers are tied up today undergoing repairs, we cannot risk 1st corp until they are available. The Australian situation darkens. Do we have any solutions? I have given the Australian PM my word, as yet, that is all I have given him.........

1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/9/2016 9:51:54 AM)
April 27th Over the crawling hulk of the Yamashiro, a viscous air battle develops as Japanese zeros try to protect her. They take down 10 of the dauntless dive bombers over the day. It is not enough. Eight 1000 lb bombs strike her today. I do not think we will see her for a long time , a long, long time.

1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/9/2016 9:54:42 AM)
Katherine falls to a Japanese Naval Guard unit, one that has marched right across the top end. It turns north towards Darwin, and there is little to stop it. There can't be, everything has been gambled at Kalgoorlie. Its a gamble that is going sour rapidly.....

1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/9/2016 9:56:11 AM)
Hello Graham Can you PM me please? PS, your squadron is resting, I am scared to deploy it!

1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/10/2016 9:42:09 AM)
April 28th "Finish with Main engines" Enterprise nestles against the in adequate wharf of Bombay. She is not alone.. And if ships can be tired, this ship is very tired indeed. And again, she is not alone. KB is near Diego Garcia, or elements of it is. And there a snow balls chance in Hell that Halsey will be able to sail south to engage it. Bombay is filled to the gills with ships, tired ships, strained ships. And somehow Halsey has to prioritise which ones need work first, when all of them do It is simply a nightmare. DD Napier too shares a berth. John has her anchored out near the entrance, here, at least, there is some breeze Cape town, where again too many ships try to nestle in the bay. Ashore 1st Corp , and Brother Jack wait for orders to re embark. More than 2 divisions of troops waiting for god knows what, while daily the news is filled of a home land being plundered, and of an Army with its backs against the wall. 2 divisions of troops, angry troops. And not one of them able to understand what would happen if the enemy carriers found them somewhere in the wastes of the Indian ocean........... Bombay is going to have to perform miracles if 1st Corp is to have any chance to cross that deadly sea to home.

1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/10/2016 9:53:39 AM)
April 28th Admiralty house, Sydney: "report sir...very large task force, many Battleships, 200 miles north Noumea" The Commander takes the signal. "Anything in the area?" even though he knows there is not "Not a sausage sir" "Its the Germans who do sausages son.......well, we did warn them......." There is little defending Noumea. Never has been. No ships, no planes, no men. But The Commander does not, of course know everything. From Suva, USS Hornet commences refuelling.

RayYoung -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/11/2016 8:44:25 PM)
A good read as usual. Thanks, keep up the excellent writing.

1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/12/2016 8:27:03 AM)
April 29th The Japanese task force hovers North of Noumea, waiting. For what, we will soon find out. Hornet leaves Suva. Now is a moment for decision. Some times you just have to grab it by the short and curlies Somewhere , and now its a very big somewhere, is CARDIV5, and a CVE. But here is such a fat, fat juicy target. Hornet works to full speed, she will be in position in 2 days. Probably too late. But will it be harmful to have the Japs wondering just what is down south for a change?

1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/12/2016 8:42:31 AM)
April 29th Jack sits quietly on his bunk. He is, for the moment, alone. A rare state of affairs around here. Its been another long, long day A mission south escorting Hudsons, bombing the field at Esperance. A brief tangle with Oscars, a Cap mission. 76th has arrived, boosting their numbers. Morale is high. You can tell from the laughter in the tent beside his. But men are dying. Two empty places at the muster this morning. 3 injured. John will lose that leg, for sure. Jack sits quietly in his tent. His hand, his right hand tremors And he can't stop it. And rumours that no less than 3 full divisions are nearing Kalgoorlie now.

ny59giants -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/13/2016 12:42:11 PM)
Hornet - I would take off your TBs as you don't get the Avengers until May and add as many fighters (Marine 18 plane group and a part of a divided group) to help ensure survivability.

Major Shane -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/13/2016 4:46:20 PM)
Such a great AAR. I was offline for almost a month; it was on page 12 when I left. I love your style and your story lines. I am so excited to be caught up. I am looking forward to what comes next. Keep up the great work.

1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/14/2016 8:59:14 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: ny59giants Hornet - I would take off your TBs as you don't get the Avengers until May and add as many fighters (Marine 18 plane group and a part of a divided group) to help ensure survivability. Oh no worries about that, first thing done, but............as you will soon see........

1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/14/2016 9:46:49 AM)
April 30th The men of 75th squadron rise early. The horizon is already red, threatening a hot one. It is cold, men's breath hangs in the air, hands grip enamel mugs tightly, tea is sipped. As the pilots pick a breakfast, the ground crews turn towards todays work. Between them and 76th, they have been busy, a dozen birds, fighters, hudsons will remain earth bound today. Men remove covers from the canopies, others pump fuel. In the pale light, strings of ammunition glimmers. Half a dozen men begin the walk down the strip. Two of those broken birds awaiting repairs have been victims of a unique hazard, kangaroo strikes. The big reds have been drawn to the strip each night, driven away by the sounds of battle that now spreads in an almost 360 degree arc around the mining centre, and equally drawn to he relative quiet of the strip, and the drains that line its side. Water lingers here. And grass. Still, thinks Jack, you can laugh a little about the kangaroos. The bush telegraph, always reliable, has passed on this little tid bit. Someone has told the Japs that Kangaroos are carnivorous, and they believe it.......... There are no stirring speeches', no words of encouragement. None is needed. Turnball drains the last of his tea, and simply grabs his gear and begins to wander towards his plane. He has 7 kill now. No stirring speeches are needed They climb, passing from dark into light as they pass 2000 feet. Jack snatches a good look around as they climb. To the south east, flashes, gunfire........where 56th division works its way around their arse. Due south, still the smoke spirals marking the graves of 2/8th armour, caught by that same division deep in the night. They switch to oxygen at 10000, a reluctant choice, its scarce now, there being only one generator left . But needs must. They come at 16000, the little barsteds, always at 16000, the kitty's will need at least 17, or more, if they can coast them that bloody high. "Fighters, red 90 men" Jack see's them. A Dozen or more, even odds............ Both sides wheel into each other, a scissoring, banking, gut crushing manoeuvre, guns spitting. Jack banks hard, turns hard, the Oscar floats ahead of him, banking, turning hard too, finger begins to pressure on the trigger, the Oscar wavers, and turns even tighter fading under his left wing, he can't follow, she wont follow, viscously his fighter stalls, slings him into a horrible spin, punishing him for trying the impossible. Clouds of red dust rise from the cockpit floor, curses, full opposite rudder, stick forward, pull out, gasping. Tracer hammers past, ****!!!, he has been followed down, stick into belly, rudder again, rolling over, plummeting for safety, engine hammering, clattering, the stink of oil, oil over the screen....... CRAP! CRAP! CRAP!! He turns towards the field, 3000 feet below, a mile away. A kittyhawk , aflame, plunges vertically past A Oscar follows, spinning flatly, more destroyed aluminium than plane.. The engine quits as he lands, expensive terminal noises ahead of him, the hydraulics turn to mush, it takes all his skill to stop her joining the damn roos as he stampedes down the strip. Silence. Dust He slowly rolls the canopy back, feels the hot sun on his face. Someone is shouting at him "GET OUT FOR CHRIST SAKE!! GET OUT!" A hand pointing at the sky A formation of Bombers, a perfect formation of bombers almost directly ahead Twin tails. Lillies And a hail storm of bombs coming down The ditch is deep, and close enough Jack buries his face into the dirt as the thumps come charging towards them, as the world fills with the shriek of them, the bangs of them, he almost feels his fighter being shred by one He eats dirt, swallows dust, his back feels 3 miles wild, how can they possibly miss him?..... Dusk Turnball surveys his men. At least today nobody has died. Only 3 runners for tomorrow. 8 broken birds Half a bloody strip. Who will fly tomorrow then? Measured eyes examine men. And find some a wanting. And Jack is one of them.

1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/16/2016 10:31:55 AM)
From CICPAC to Combined Chiefs of staff Monthly appreciation The Last 30 days have been a mixture of both optimism and despair In certain areas the high tide of Japanese expansion may have been reached. In others they face boundless opportunities to wreck havoc upon our cause. We examine each battle front/area of operations in turn: The Fleet: 4 of our 5 fleet carriers remain in the Indian ocean. The state of them is now considered poor, the lack of suitable docking facilities is now severely effecting their operations. Only Hornet, operating in the south west pacific, can be considered in good state. Nevertheless, as will be detailed, we must expect yet more effort from the fleet soon. Australia: A disaster is developing. A single division is isolated near Albany 2 are isolated at Kalgoorlie Another lies to the west of Kalgoorlie on the railway, but lacks the strength to break the siege. These divisions, the bulk of forces available, are battling 4 divisions, with intelligence of another on the way. We now have the Americal in Australia, and 3 more enroute. I NOW DOUBT if they can effect the battle of Kalgoorlie. Australia's fate appears to rest with the 1st corp, currently at sea enroute from Cape Town If it succeeds in landing at Esperance (as planned) Australia may be saved. Fail, and the effect on our long term war prospects become very dark. Between the CAPE and Esperance, at least 4 Japanese Carriers roam. A decision must be made, and I am preparing for it now. Our 4 fleet carriers, and within 10 days, 3 british Carriers must sail south, find the Japanese carriers, engage them, and fight the 1st corp through. If I can, at the least, damage the Japanese carriers and force their withdrawal, I will be satisfied, EVEN at the risk of loosing the fleet. 1st corp must get through. Nothing else really matters now, other than the relief of Western Australia. East Australia/ Port Moresby The Japanese have landed 2 divisions at Milne Bay, it will fall, another step in the envelopment of Port Moresby. We face 2 CV, a CVE, 4 BB, 4 CA in these waters. The Japanese however, only have 2 divisions to deploy. The fate of Port Moresby depends, again, on the fate of 1st corp. South pacific Suva is secure New Zealand seems secure Noumea remains un defended, the Japanese have probed there, yet seem uncertain whether to invade it or not. The island chain to Noumea's North continues to be fortified. No intelligence points to an invasion of Noumea. Pacific Our transports sail blithely undetected right under the gilberts, or, even at times, through them. Baker island in particular begs to be retaken. North pacific Kodiac is now considered secure. We have sunk a battleship (we believe) and I believe, discouraged any further adventures. An allied offensive however, cannot even be contemplated this year. India There is no longer fear of a sea borne invasion of India. A thrust up the coast towards Chittagong is underway, finally allowing our air power to begin to deploy. 10th Air HQ is now in place and serious air pressure is now beginning to be applied. The situation is grim, but still manageable. China The Japanese continue to bomb the central front mercilessly , but the front remain fixed throughout the month. Summary. We run a severe risk of losing this war, lose Australia, lose the war. We can replace our Carriers, Japan will struggle to do so. We must risk it, with Combined Chiefs permission, I seek authority to seek the enemy fleet.

1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/19/2016 8:39:21 AM)
May 1 The Japanese big boys finally visit Noumea 2 Battleships, 3 heavy cruisers, a pack of escorts They sink the small ships in the harbour, and bombard Nothing. Noumea has little in the way of military assets. They are elsewhere. The BBs retire, and hornet is between them and home........

1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/19/2016 8:52:31 AM)
May 1 Parliament house "He's cracking up Jim" The Speaker of the house pauses, considers his smoke, butts it out, and nods in agreement" "Is it any wonder Tony?, nearly all of our Army has gotten itself surrounded in the West, the rest seems doomed in Port Moresby, and his wife is having an affair.......Jesus Tony, its a wonder it hasn't happened earlier" Tony quietly agrees. And 4 sons in the thick of it as well. "But what will we do, what will we do?" The speaker stares at Tony, stares at him hard "Whatever you do, think carefully my friend. If ever a Prime Ministership was a poisoned Chalice, then this one is it"

1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/19/2016 8:56:38 AM)
1st May "Do you here there, this is the Captain speaking. To the men of the 7th Division, welcome aboard. There will be a life boat muster shortly, which I insist is correct before we sail. Please don't cock it up" Jason Ford smiles. Capetown to West Australia. God knows what in between. Somehow he thinks, 7th Cav won't be cocking this up.

1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/21/2016 7:32:05 AM)
1 May War always throws up the unexpected. Plans rarely, if ever, come off. Late in the afternoon, Hornet finally breaks free from the squall that has shrouded her, and finds herself just 80 miles away from the retiring Japanese Battleships. They have no escorting carrier cover. 16 dive bombers depart (oH for the TBD's now.......but they have been replaced by more fighters), and attack. Expectations are high After all, haven't the Japanese sown terror these last months with similar sized strikes? BB Hyuga, Ise don't even have that good a AA suit. But boy, can they manoeuvre. 16 bombers, no hits. Not even close. It is a salutary lesson. Not only are the allied carriers out numbered, they have much, much yet to learn. With the chance Carrier Div 5 will appear at any moment, Hornet, much chastened flees south at high speed.

1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/21/2016 7:45:23 AM)
May 2nd The bell rings, and rings, that mad ringing touched with the unmistakeable tinge of panic "Scramble!, Scramble!" Jack runs , not towards a fighter, he has for today none, but towards a foxhole. 76th, 11 strong, 75th, just 3 strong, are already bellowing down the strip, dust streaming behind them even as he reaches the dark hole. The world fills with that unique beat and snarl of Japanese aero engines as the Oscars sweep overhead, hard on the tails of the still climbing fighters....... They flit through them, 3 kittys abruptly staggering, spinning down, vanishing into the desert, one Oscar follows them . The defending fighters are scattering, vanishing across the plain, even as the massed Lilly squadron begins its bombing run. Jack stops watching, flings himself into his hole, tense for the inevitable bangs 2 cooks, cursing, plunge in after him. The bombs shriek down, not for the field this time, but for one of the main dumps. Strike after strike, bang on target. Smoke billows And the cooks curses take focus........"Oh crap, that's most of our grub!"

1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (3/21/2016 7:51:24 AM)
Winston gently places the phone down. It is nearly 3 am, his bed lies covered in papers, orders, memorandums, a hundred sheets of paper that he uses to control a vast apparatus, Government, military. The news has not been good "Chittagong has fallen, the enemy are landing at Milne bay in force" Indian Command seems to be on the verge of panic........ And the fate of Australia, that, that barely deemed thinking about, too painful. He lies still for a moment. A hundred memos, a thousand, ten thousand. Would any make a difference? The war is not under control. We are dancing to Japans tune. We must break it, or lose.........

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