RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (Full Version)

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1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/10/2016 9:40:59 AM)

23rd June
Nothing can fly from from Kodiak, nothing.
Regretfully the wild winds and driving rain do nothing to prevent the Japanese
invasion fleet coming into the sheltered bay.

There is barely room for them.
24 large AKs, 3 cruisers, 5 destroyers.
The defenders open up, and soon a good number are burning.
The Japanese, 2 divisions strong, begin to pour ashore.

Seeward, allied airbase to the North, cannot help. It is pounded by Japanese Carrier planes,
The full strength of the Carrier arm.

There is no despair at Kodiak. We are dug in, deep. We are well supplied.
And maybe, just maybe, we are stronger than the enemy thought.



1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/10/2016 9:43:30 AM)

Repulse goes down.
Another SS strike.

Napier takes on her share of survivors, turns North for Carnovan.
This for now, will be home.



1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/10/2016 9:51:14 AM)

From
POTUS
to
Prime Minister Australia

It is apparent that the entire weight of Japans carrier air arm is in action
in the gulf of Alaska.
I am, of course, now receiving considerable heat from various parties who retain
a very narrow view of the war.
Japan boasts that Kodiak is just the start.. I think it a massive mis calculation.

I want to make very clear that Australia, the destruction of the invaders in your
fair land, remains the number one priority. The carriers will remain, until this is done.
It may all come down to a matter of who holds their nerve longest.. Based on the war
so far, I doubt that it could ever be Australia..........



1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/10/2016 9:56:29 AM)

From
Prime Minister Australia
to
Winston

The invasion of Esperance appears to be successful. I am pleased to say that your
request to have your Carriers back can be fulfilled, but can we keep the R's???
Very much share your sorrow at loss of Repulse. A valiant ship doing her duty.
On your questions on future trade..............



1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/10/2016 9:59:34 AM)

From Winston
to
Prime Minister Australia

Your offer of 1 million sheep carcasses gratefully accepted. Pleased with progress
of operations Western Australia.
In light of current situation, if shipping can be found, intend to send 2nd Division
to you.
Winston



1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/11/2016 5:26:32 AM)

24th June

Do your duty
War demands it.
Your comrades about you demand it
Your inner self demands it

This is bravery, to do your duty

CL Helena, her Captain, the destroyer captains that follow her, do theirs
In this terrible weather, they pound back into Kodiak
The invasion convoy is there, but its a forlorn hope.
Hiei, Haranua??, bar the way
Some transports are hit, not enough.

Then doom, the Giant returns. Yamato shoots terribly well, terribly............

Helena sunk, all hands lost.
Duty done.

The Japanese carriers strike, 113 Kate, strike the field at Kodiak, followed by yet more
battleship fire.
A Japanese triumph.80 aircraft destroyed or damaged on the ground.
Allied air shattered in the Alaska gulf, what remains is evacuated.

The troops continue pouring ashore.








blueatoll -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/11/2016 5:51:23 AM)

[image]http://www.auto-ordnance.com/images/Photo-Library/canadaposter2.jpg[/image]

Time to free up the Canucks?



1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/11/2016 9:45:28 AM)

25th June
Johns mind is actually a thousand miles away when the call comes.
he is daydreaming of the station, the rolling green paddocks.....The call yanks him rudely
back into the real world
"Sir!!!, Nizam rëports submarine contact!"
"Äction stations!..............." that's the easy part, but where the hell is Nizam??

Its dark, bloody dark, blowing a stiff breeze, the seas are coming over the bow every 30 seconds.
This will not be easy.
"Port 20!, "Starshell port!"

Carnovan is only 4 hours away, arrival due at dawn. The next 4 hours instead will be
spent fruitlessly hunting for the sub. 4 hours of fuel expenditure, of further effort, of no sleep.
Napiers crew are at the limits of exhaustion. Her fuel tanks are all but empty.
Carnovan, that pimple, is hardly going to be the place to replenish both.



1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/11/2016 9:53:40 AM)

Port Moresby flexes it first muscles

12 B17's strike Lae, brushing aside a few zeros
18 hit Rabual. . There is no CAP. 2 CM, 2 SC, an AV, a DMS, a APD, 2 AK all hit.
The Alutiens are a long way away.

he sends 163 Kates against Kodiak. Troops ashore now 2 divisions, 2 Engineer units.
Kodiak is held by a tank regiment, a normal regiment, a lot of artillery, under 6 forts.

We think it will hold.



1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/11/2016 10:02:32 AM)

East of Kalgoorlie.

Blameys tanks crawl westward , a hundred or more steel beetles trailing
clouds of dust.
The Maltildas form a solid wedge in the middle, the lighter stuarts on the flanks.
Near midday, Japanese positions come into view, a series of gun pits, black pimples spread
across the sands

Artillery.
No Antitank
No infantry

The seel beetles spit fire, the Japanese.......the Japanese die.
Crushed.
The beetles keep on moving west, at dusk they change course, North West, towards Kalgoorlie.
They are in the Japs rear.



1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/11/2016 10:30:55 AM)

Blamey stands at the radio tent.
Men hate him. Many men hate him. But they follow him not for any genius in tactics
he might display ( his limitations he knows too well)
No, they hate his arrogance, is rudeness, his ruthless attitude to men who have deemed to
have failed.
But they follow him for his guts.
For his need , determination to fight.

Today, he knows, its all down to guts.

'" Sir, 3rd motor is reporting overwhelming numbers, a divisional size attack"
40 miles to my north........"The armour?"....40, or maybe more to my south
"advancing still sir"

And me in the middle.....who will surround who first???
Guts. This is the moment, who blinks first?

"Sir! message from Esperance!, the town has fallen!"
"Tell 3rd motor they will fight, and if need be, die in place. Tell the armour.....tell them
to put the pedal to the metal!"





ny59giants -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/11/2016 11:40:04 AM)

Kodiak - How are your infantry disruption levels? If you can keep them relatively low, you will be able to hold.



nicwb -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/12/2016 1:41:59 AM)

quote:

No, they hate his arrogance, is rudeness, his ruthless attitude to men who have deemed to
have failed.


Got that one well picked. In RL Blamey was not particularly popular especially after the Koitaki speech to the troops in 1942.



1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/12/2016 2:19:10 AM)

To
Winston

Situation brief, Pacific theatre

India:
Stable situation along northern border of Burma
Our forces have checked all Japanese probes, and the first general probe south towards
Chittagong has commenced.
Air Campaign fluctuates, however overall we retain sufficient control of the air, with
little interference to our ground troops.
Forces are now concentrating in Calcutta area, any Japanese offensive against Western India or
Colombo now considered remote.
Support deployment of 2nd Division to Australia.
Politically this must give us some leverage with Australia, the concept of re borrowing
1st corp in 43 now very viable.
No offensive can be contemplated in India theatre for this year

Australia
The landings at Carnovan have seen our armoured brigade, 1st Corp safely ashore, and
these troops advance south

Landings at Esperance successful, along with 24th American Division, 2 enemy tank
regiments, and 15th army HQ are in full retreat
The road between Esperance and Kalgoorlie has been cut by 2nd motor brigade
Situation east of Kalgoorlie is tense, 4 Japanese divisions verses 3 weakening Australian.
However Japanese troop movements WEST are now observed. The Left undercut attack of our
Armour may unhinge enemy defences.
The Australian 4th division, and Americal continue to slowly move towards the battle
Blamey is being supplied now from coast road.

It appears that SOUTH PAC, is releasing considerable forces, including much armour,
to reinforce this battle. A landing at Freemantle or Albany too could very well succeed.


SOUTH WEST PAC

Battle soon to be joined at Katherine, and PORT Moresby, Horn Island now turning towards offensive
operations

SOUTH PAC
The diversion attack at EFATE has failed.
However SUVA and now Noumea, are considered safe. Further diversion attacks are planned.

Central Pacific.
Remains quiet, with neither side having sufficient forces to do anything

NorthPAC

Allied troops reported on KODIAK to be in "very god shape"
We believe this island will hold, even if the enemy dominate the area with its carriers.
Every day that this battle continues, is another good day for us.






No more turns in in tray........



BBfanboy -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/12/2016 2:40:33 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: nicwb

quote:

No, they hate his arrogance, is rudeness, his ruthless attitude to men who have deemed to
have failed.


Got that one well picked. In RL Blamey was not particularly popular especially after the Koitaki speech to the troops in 1942.

I think strong-willed people are always unpopular because they remind the rest of us of our weaknesses. Instead of admiration, we give them envy and spite.
But there is no reason a leader cannot be strong-willed and tactful. Ike stands out, MacArthur does not. I know little of Blamey save his grit and determination, but I think he was handed one of the hardest conundrums of any leader in the war. He had no time to be polite and develop relationships - you either got behind him or got out of the way.



nicwb -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/14/2016 5:20:53 AM)

Hi BBfanboy,

I don't particularly disagree with you.

However, Blamey did cross a line at Koitaki. He was addressing the troops who had just come out of the jungle after the Kokoda Campaign. They had just completed a fighting withdrawal across the New Guinea Highlands. Their actions had markedly contributed to preventing the Japanese taking Port Moresby and had been carried out in dense jungle by militia troops and at a time when the Japanese had been steamroller ini everything in their path.

Blamey basically and rather unforgivably accused them of cowardice in the face of the enemy.

Sorry PSI - not intending to hijack the thread!



1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/14/2016 11:43:24 AM)

June 27th

Its a week since the miscarriage.
We won't even pretend to understand the darkness of the week Margaret has undergone.
A week........a long, long week.
She barely remembers some of it, most of it.
Matron.......well Matron has, regretfully, seen this before.
She attends with all that is needed, with love, with patience. Time, time will be needed.
It might have helped, it might not have.

Its Midday, and somehow.....somehow she finds herself in town.
There are uniforms everywhere, trucks, and from the field, the steady roar of the now ever
present B17's.
There is also dust, noise, a barking dog, and a poster.

Wanted
Nurses
For deployment

A surprised old man, drooping moustache, in even older uniform
A few lies

4 hours later, she finds herself on a DC3, destination Port Moresby.
Will train



1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/14/2016 11:50:20 AM)

The messenger hands the signal to Blamey
"regret to report 3rd motor brigade has been destroyed"
"Destroyed, or surrendered?"
"Destroyed sir"
Blamey merely grunts....."Át least Rowe knows his duty"
He turns back to the map, as if so many men lost truly means so little, other than that
they have delayed the bloody 16th division from going anywhere.
"Our Armour?"
The messenger smiles. "Firmly on the rail line sir, firmly up the Japs arse"




1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/14/2016 12:07:02 PM)

27th June

Kodiak

Its raining. Belting down, again. Cold, bitterly cold rain that gets under the collar,
runs down your neck, freezes your privates.
Your feet are numb, your fingers struggle to work.

The metal of the gun is even colder, at least it does not freeze to your fingers, yet.
That usually happens later in the night though.
About you, men shiver. You shiver.
But the cave/ pillbox you are in, protects you from the gale outside.
The bloody nips down there in the beach head will be feeling every breath of it.
Good.

The gun is cold, ammo is being saved today against the troops, bigger game is afoot.

"There the %$#^&ers are"
Out of the grey curtain of the rain, shadows, grey shadows on the water.
Jap ships.

The darkness is almost complete.
Almost.
About you only poor Peter, glasses fogged to hell can't see em.

"range, 5000!"

You are but one gun. But of 2 marine defence units, of several coastal battery units.
Of quite a few other artillery units.

"Give em hell"

2 cruisers, multiple destroyers. The will try to reply.
And just give themselves away.
3 destroyers won't be back in a long time. Both cruisers vanish, burning.
The gun falls silent, steaming
Sweating, you collapse.

The wind howls, the rain pelts down, freezing. If the Japs want to reinforce that way, they are
going to need a heck of a lot more ships.




1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/14/2016 12:12:54 PM)

At dawn the Japs send another 160 kates, they finish of 4 hulks around the bay.
The defences remain untouched.

In the solomons, a lone CVE, maybe Hiyo and her friends attacks Louisville near
Milne bay.
A destroyer is damaged.

B17's strike Madang, 18strong.
Nells strike Port Moresby......well, the Japs sent them to that.

None return.

But a bad day on the Burma front
32 Hurricanes lost for 25 Oscars and zeros combined downed.




1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/14/2016 12:24:21 PM)

"Prime Minister?"
Frank looks about the room. Yes, all her stuff is gone. Strange, how only 3 months ago
the thought of divorce , of separation at least, could have been so daunting.
In the shadow of the war, of so much stress, such a little thing now."
"Yes?"

"Än interesting tid bit sir, The Japanese Prime Minister made a speech today"
"Öh yes?"
"A line sir, to quote......we will hold every inch we have taken....now for the great
test, to stand at this high point, and let the enemy dash himself to pieces upon us"
Frank thinks........

"Do you think they are admitting that the high tide level has been reached sir?"
"Sounds a bit like it, doesn't it?"



1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/15/2016 11:24:45 AM)

Have to step out of story for the moment
Have read Johns comments about too many games.
last night I welcomed him back, commented on how I actually like playing defence
as japan, and asked, can he make it to may 45
his answer:
definitely not.

Its only end of June. And I think its dawning on him that 'fun times'running
around smashing things is coming to a end
So I am a bit worried. I do hope he continues...........






1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/15/2016 11:37:24 AM)

28 June

Jack awakens with a start.
"Do you hear that?"
"Uh?"......disorientation.....its dark, and the trench, as usual still stinks of
sweat, excrement, oil, blood.
"Do you hear that?"
Jack is instantly awake, and up, crouching, peering cautiously into the dark towards the Japanese lines.
An attack???
The desert lies quiet under the moon
"Hear what, you bloody idiot"
"That's the point........you can't hear anything"



From
General Blamey
to
Australian command

My armoured brigades now stand firmly on rail line 80 miles due east Kalgoorlie
Enemy divisions opposite my army, retiring WEST.
Have ordered my armour to stab at Kalgoorlie, and to seize, if possible his supply dumps.
Advance Australia fair.



Long pig -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/15/2016 11:39:00 AM)

I hope he lasts for a while as I am really enjoying this AAR. Well done to you again sir for your description of combat in the air and the ground and not least at sea 👍



1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/15/2016 11:39:51 AM)

From
Port Moresby
to
SW Pac command

Para drop Salamaua successful
Wau appears un occupied
Will seize it tomorrow.

end



1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/15/2016 11:51:35 AM)

Cruisers Dortcheshire, Hobart, Achilles, the N class destroyers steam steadily south from
Carnovan.
There was fuel a plenty there, held in a score of transports holds.
Ammunition, there was none to be had.
Thus, a return to Adelaide.

Some bright spark, thinks John, has decided to totally empty the ammo against Perth.
But, as the sun rises, its apparent something has changed.

Geraldon field has grown large enough to take, field Vals.
Too many of the buggars

Again, the hard hat.
Again, the craning head, twisting shoulders, peering into the sun, the screaming fans, the rushing
waters, the crack of the guns.

The diving eagles, the whistles, the crumps, the crumps of the misses, the towering water spouts

Shrapnel hisses across Napiers bridge, hisses, whizzes, bangs, clatters.
A cry of pain behind John, a man, a friend, a companion collapsing

More crumps, then, horribly, the bangs, thumps, as bombs strike home.

All three cruisers are struck, struck hard.
Carnovan offers little, it will have to do. Shocked, humiliated, the task force turns
to the North.



1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/15/2016 11:58:46 AM)

The Japanese have wildly flung his Tank units all over the aussie desert.
2, or 3 we have now smashed.
Another, the 8th tank regiment, is discovered today.
Its on the coast road, a long, long way from anywhere.
Yesterday, 4th division bumped into it, a unit of some sort.
Today, today 4 more cruisers ( oh, yes, we have just about EVERYTHING in these waters now)
pound it.
30 tanks destroyed.
4th division is going to squash it like a bug.



1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/15/2016 12:01:15 PM)

Enemy CVL task group near Milne bay launches a very long range strike at Port Moresby

3 AK lost
a DD hit

PM Bristles with LBA.
I don't think he will come much closer



Andav -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/15/2016 2:26:47 PM)


I really hope he continues so we can continue to enjoy this AAR. It really is fantastic.

Is it 1942 or 1943? Either way, at this point, saying there is no way you will make it to May 45 would be very disappointing to me.

Wa



Canoerebel -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (6/15/2016 2:33:53 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

Have to step out of story for the moment
Have read Johns comments about too many games.
last night I welcomed him back, commented on how I actually like playing defence
as japan, and asked, can he make it to may 45
his answer:
definitely not.

Its only end of June. And I think its dawning on him that 'fun times'running
around smashing things is coming to a end
So I am a bit worried. I do hope he continues...........


Herbie, years ago I played John in a WitP match that last into late 1944. At that point we mutually called it quits (on the erroneous assumption that the "game was over," not realizing that Japan can still fight hard). But John went deep into that game.

I think John will fight far into your game unless he loses his full navy. He's a navy guy, and if he loses a high percentage of his ships I would guess that he might raise the white flag. Exactly when he would reach that point is anybody's guess, but usually it wouldn't be earlier than well into 1944.




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