Meanwhile, off Medan, smaller and smaller naval forces do battle almost every night as Br 172 Brigade and US 40th Div begins to arrive at Sibolga on the West coast.

Anyway, the AF is shut down and the flyable A/C moved to Sawhalabuto or Sowalabatung or whatever the next tiny village full of consanguineous natives is called. After all, they at least did not start this thing so one must maintain a certain level of graciousness and patience.

That is not really a sentence but I have started drinking so it is the best I can do.

<r> <B><s>[b]</s>Sumatra:<e>[/b]</e></B> Djambi, curiously named after two baseball players with oversized egos even though nobody who lives there has ever heard of baseball, and only 150 N of Palembang, which is keeping all the Zekes and Georges operating. Consequently, the LYB's do not want an air...

<r> <B><s>[b]</s>***********August 19,20***********<e>[/b]</e></B><br/> <br/> <B><s>[b]</s>Mindanao:<e>[/b]</e></B> LYB air raids at Malaybalay eating up supply and the AAA is disrupted. The flyable P-40's fly to Zamboanga or Zanzibar or whatever it's called at the NW tip of Mindanao. We have supply...

<r> <B><s>[b]</s>****SWPAC HQ, Darwin******<e>[/b]</e></B><br/> <br/> <B><s>[b]</s>Tall patrician-looking fellow with 5 stars:<e>[/b]</e></B> Jocko, I'd like you to meet the Spruance twins.<br/> <br/> <B><s>[b]</s>RADM "Jocko" Clark:<e>[/b]</e></B> <extends hand and shakes both right hands of the tw...

<r> <B><s>[b]</s>Lesser Sundas:<e>[/b]</e></B> Dropped 1300 men of 503rd PIR on Namlea and with the men of 2nd Para already on the island it was a 1:1 attack. Not quite enough to take the place but that was all the lift capacity we had available.<br/> <br/> Sparrow Force is prepped to land there but...

Timor: IJN carriers 500 m W of Koepang but only 135 carrier A/C...more like a single carrier division. Not sure what they are doing. Getting ready to take the SCTF there? Preventing our reinforcement of Koepang?

<r> <B><s>[b]</s>*******August 18**********<br/> <br/> Mindanao:<e>[/b]</e></B> Malaybalay AF runs out of AVGAS and we get whacked.<br/> <QUOTE><s>[quote]</s>Morning Air attack on Malaybalay , at 80,90 <br/> <br/> Weather in hex: Overcast<br/> <br/> Raid spotted at 39 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 f...

<r> <B><s>[b]</s>**********August 17*********** <e>[/b]</e></B><br/> <br/> <B><s>[b]</s>Sumatra:<e>[/b]</e></B> The relief Aussie brigade breaks through to the Medan encirclement from the SW in march column at the last second...and then the Japs attack and the 3 brigades are thrown back toward Sibol...

<r> Looks like JJ has given up on costly land attacks at Malaybalay and has switched over to air attacks. This wil absolutely work if they keep it up as the supply is critical.<br/> <QUOTE><s>[quote]</s><COLOR color="#000066"><s>[color=#000066]</s>Morning Air attack on Malaybalay , at 80,90 <br/> <b...

<r> <B><s>[b]</s>Mindanao:<e>[/b]</e></B> The defenders of Davao are hopelessly overmatched. I order all the planes out. Davao is how the sub supply is getting in to Mindanao but it is a jungle hexside to Malaybalay so it doesn't flow efficiently.<br/> <QUOTE><s>[quote]</s><COLOR color="#000066"><s>...

No IJA attack at Medan yet...but it must be coming. Somehow the heavy bombers from Mergui are grounded...bummer.

Instead of a self-sealing gas tank the contract calls for a "self-igniting gas tank"

Somebody's cousin was in charge of that Fulmar contract. It's ugly...the name is stupid..and it is a POS.

<r> D'oh!<br/> <QUOTE><s>[quote]</s><COLOR color="#000066"><s>[color=#000066]</s>Morning Air attack on 38th Division, at 45,75 , near Medan<br/> <br/> Weather in hex: Thunderstorms<br/> <br/> Raid spotted at 6 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.<br/> Estimated time to target is 1 minutes<br/> <br/> J...

<r> Fight switches to the air.<br/> <QUOTE><s>[quote]</s><COLOR color="#000066"><s>[color=#000066]</s>Morning Air attack on 21st Australian Brigade, at 46,76 (Medan)<br/> <br/> Weather in hex: Severe storms<br/> <br/> Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.<br/> Estimated time to targ...

<r> <B><s>[b]</s>************August 16, 1943(e)**************<e>[/b]</e></B><br/> <br/> <B><s>[b]</s>Sumatra:<e>[/b]</e></B> 16th Naval Battle of Sumatra. Not a good night for Somerville<br/> <QUOTE><s>[quote]</s><COLOR color="#000066"><s>[color=#000066]</s>Night Time Surface Combat, near Medan at 4...

Medium and heavies continue suppression of Ternate, Lolobato, Boela, Ambon and Namlea AF's.

<r> <B><s>[b]</s>************August 14-15, 1943(e)**********<e>[/b]</e></B><br/> <br/> <B><s>[b]</s>Ceram:<e>[/b]</e></B>Getting ready for the troops ashore at Boela to attack..naval bombardents...air bombardments...dropping leaflets..<br/> <QUOTE><s>[quote]</s>[font="Courier New"]Sons of Nippon<br/...