Driftless
Donor
Woof. Into the frying pan. Maybe this universe' equivalent of the fights on land, sea, and air over Henderson field on Guadalcanal?
- Status
Woof. Into the frying pan. Maybe this universe' equivalent of the fights on land, sea, and air over Henderson field on Guadalcanal?
Normally the IJN tended to give up early compared to the RN or USN when chasing sub contacts.
The Eastern Fleet is by this time being inform by HMS Tuna of sighting of carriers and other ships heading south near Borneo. Admiral Somerville will be ready for them.
Just saying 6 CV vs 3CV and 4 BC vs 2 BB
And in seas where both sides can deploy significant land based air. As long as Sunda stays open, the RN "wins"
So who is going to kiss the donkey? Quote from the movie Battleship "Oh brother, somebody gonna kiss the donkey!"
Story 1280
April 30, 1942 Darwin
Seventeen twin engine fighters circled the northern port city. The group was supposed have spent six weeks in Brisbane but the chatter and the need for reinforcements in Timor altered the training cycle. The ground elements had arrived two days before the fighters. Now the pilots were flying over the area to familiarize themselves with the ground controllers and the way points of the advanced base..
Seventeen twin engine fighters circled the northern port city. The group was supposed have spent six weeks in Brisbane but the chatter and the need for reinforcements in Timor altered the training cycle. The ground elements had arrived two days before the fighters. Now the pilots were flying over the area to familiarize themselves with the ground controllers and the way points of the advanced base..
Derek Pullem
Donor
Hope it's not Mossies - the wings fell off in the heat of India as the glue failed.
Not exactly true about the wings falling off!! See this quote from an article on that very problem.
"Early Mosquitos were assembled using casein glues, which were exactly what you can buy today in any hardware store under the rubric “woodworker’s glue.” Casein glues are milk byproducts (which is why the most common brand, Elmer’s, has the familiar cattle-head logo), so they provide munchies for microorganisms, particularly when the environment is wet and warm, as was the case when the first Mosquitos were sent to Southeast Asia. In the Pacific theater, some Mosquito glues turned cheesy, and upper wing skins debonded from the main spar.
The solution turned out to be two-part urea-formaldehyde glue, which de Havilland began using in the spring of 1943. The urea glue was applied to one wooden surface and the formaldehyde catalyst brushed onto the other. When the two were clamped together, in some places with the simple pressure of tiny brass brads, a waterproof bond stronger than the wood itself was formed."
Whist not completely obviating the unique problems caused by the Mosquitoes wooden construction once Glue was changed and as long as the interior was kept dry, then they were quite capable of working well in the tropics.
"Early Mosquitos were assembled using casein glues, which were exactly what you can buy today in any hardware store under the rubric “woodworker’s glue.” Casein glues are milk byproducts (which is why the most common brand, Elmer’s, has the familiar cattle-head logo), so they provide munchies for microorganisms, particularly when the environment is wet and warm, as was the case when the first Mosquitos were sent to Southeast Asia. In the Pacific theater, some Mosquito glues turned cheesy, and upper wing skins debonded from the main spar.
The solution turned out to be two-part urea-formaldehyde glue, which de Havilland began using in the spring of 1943. The urea glue was applied to one wooden surface and the formaldehyde catalyst brushed onto the other. When the two were clamped together, in some places with the simple pressure of tiny brass brads, a waterproof bond stronger than the wood itself was formed."
Whist not completely obviating the unique problems caused by the Mosquitoes wooden construction once Glue was changed and as long as the interior was kept dry, then they were quite capable of working well in the tropics.
Story 1281
April 30, 1942 Dutch East Indies
The Sunderland reached the end of the patrol arc. A small convoy of coasters had been spotted and radioed in. Submarines and perhaps Hudsons would be vectored to attack those three ships. Beyond that nothing else was of interest. The radio operator heard nothing suspicious and the observers saw nothing.
One thousand miles away, a tired Catalina and crew that had first fought in the Philippines and had been flying almost daily for months turned around. They saw nothing in the Molucca Sea. A long dog leg was planned for the way home to avoid the fighters based on Ambon.
Between the Sunderland and the Catalina, the pilot of a Dutch Dornier was anxiously seeking clouds to hide. Zeros from Shoho were chasing it. The tri-motor plane juked and dodged as the radio operator was sending its position and the core essence of its sighting back to base repeatedly. Many transports were sighted and carriers were also nearby. The speed of advance was only eleven knots. Seventeen minutes after the first sighting, the Japanese fighters returned to their carrier after splashing the snooper.
The Sunderland reached the end of the patrol arc. A small convoy of coasters had been spotted and radioed in. Submarines and perhaps Hudsons would be vectored to attack those three ships. Beyond that nothing else was of interest. The radio operator heard nothing suspicious and the observers saw nothing.
One thousand miles away, a tired Catalina and crew that had first fought in the Philippines and had been flying almost daily for months turned around. They saw nothing in the Molucca Sea. A long dog leg was planned for the way home to avoid the fighters based on Ambon.
Between the Sunderland and the Catalina, the pilot of a Dutch Dornier was anxiously seeking clouds to hide. Zeros from Shoho were chasing it. The tri-motor plane juked and dodged as the radio operator was sending its position and the core essence of its sighting back to base repeatedly. Many transports were sighted and carriers were also nearby. The speed of advance was only eleven knots. Seventeen minutes after the first sighting, the Japanese fighters returned to their carrier after splashing the snooper.
Story 1282 April 30, 1942 Strikes on Saipan
Northeast of Saipan April 30, 1942
The carriers had been ducking and dodging Japanese air patrols for the past four days. The fleet had advanced behind the shields offered by Johnston Atoll and Wake Island. Patrol bombers flying from those strips had seen nothing of interest nor worry. A squadron of Privateers flying from Wake had been bombing the airfields of the northern Marshall Islands for the past three days. The long range bombers had taken losses from the defending fighters and anti-aircraft guns but the objective material damage was decent and far more importantly Japanese attention.
Wildcats had shot down a flying boat the night before. The two task forces had increased speed and turned slightly north of the previous base course to buy some sea room. Even before dawn two carriers from Task Force 17 and Enterprise in Task Force 16 had secured from flight operations.
Each of the striking carriers had launched a dozen Wildcats, thirty or so dive bombers and a dozen Devastators. The Devastators were carrying torpedoes to attack anything in the harbor while the dive bombers were split between attacking the airfields and hitting the harbor. Saratoga was the reserve carrier while Hornet would maintain the patrol routine for the entire fleet.
One hundred and sixty four aircraft formed up and were on their way just after dawn. The one hundred and forty five miles from the assembly point to the coastline passed quickly. The Wildcats from Enterprise jumped a group of float plane fighters just off-shore while Yorktown’s escorts bulled through half a dozen Japanese fighters. Anti-aircraft guns started to fire into the high flying formations of dive bombers even as the torpedo bombers had escaped notice. The thirty eight Devastators began deliberate runs through the modest anti-aircraft fire of the ships in the harbor. Thirty five torpedoes entered the water and within minutes, four merchant ships, the largest 7,500 tons, a patrol boat and a small oil tanker were settling on the bottom. The dive bombers assigned to the harbor added another patrol boat and a submarine to the tally but the last squadron dove on the seaplane ramp instead.
Over the airfields, the Dauntlesses plastered the surprised Japanese squadrons. A dozen old Nell bombers were on fire and half a dozen fighters were ruined as well. The strip itself was closed to anything remotely resembling safe operations for at least a day.
An hour after the first bomb dropped, the last raider had left and the first raiders were almost ready to enter the landing pattern aboard USS Constellation. Later that afternoon, another two air strikes of eighty aircraft apiece hit the island hard. By nightfall, every surviving aircraft had come back aboard the five American carriers. They had turned back to the east-northeast to leave the danger area at twenty five knots. Tankers were waiting for the carriers and far more importantly, the destroyers midway between the launch point and Wake Island.
The carriers had been ducking and dodging Japanese air patrols for the past four days. The fleet had advanced behind the shields offered by Johnston Atoll and Wake Island. Patrol bombers flying from those strips had seen nothing of interest nor worry. A squadron of Privateers flying from Wake had been bombing the airfields of the northern Marshall Islands for the past three days. The long range bombers had taken losses from the defending fighters and anti-aircraft guns but the objective material damage was decent and far more importantly Japanese attention.
Wildcats had shot down a flying boat the night before. The two task forces had increased speed and turned slightly north of the previous base course to buy some sea room. Even before dawn two carriers from Task Force 17 and Enterprise in Task Force 16 had secured from flight operations.
Each of the striking carriers had launched a dozen Wildcats, thirty or so dive bombers and a dozen Devastators. The Devastators were carrying torpedoes to attack anything in the harbor while the dive bombers were split between attacking the airfields and hitting the harbor. Saratoga was the reserve carrier while Hornet would maintain the patrol routine for the entire fleet.
One hundred and sixty four aircraft formed up and were on their way just after dawn. The one hundred and forty five miles from the assembly point to the coastline passed quickly. The Wildcats from Enterprise jumped a group of float plane fighters just off-shore while Yorktown’s escorts bulled through half a dozen Japanese fighters. Anti-aircraft guns started to fire into the high flying formations of dive bombers even as the torpedo bombers had escaped notice. The thirty eight Devastators began deliberate runs through the modest anti-aircraft fire of the ships in the harbor. Thirty five torpedoes entered the water and within minutes, four merchant ships, the largest 7,500 tons, a patrol boat and a small oil tanker were settling on the bottom. The dive bombers assigned to the harbor added another patrol boat and a submarine to the tally but the last squadron dove on the seaplane ramp instead.
Over the airfields, the Dauntlesses plastered the surprised Japanese squadrons. A dozen old Nell bombers were on fire and half a dozen fighters were ruined as well. The strip itself was closed to anything remotely resembling safe operations for at least a day.
An hour after the first bomb dropped, the last raider had left and the first raiders were almost ready to enter the landing pattern aboard USS Constellation. Later that afternoon, another two air strikes of eighty aircraft apiece hit the island hard. By nightfall, every surviving aircraft had come back aboard the five American carriers. They had turned back to the east-northeast to leave the danger area at twenty five knots. Tankers were waiting for the carriers and far more importantly, the destroyers midway between the launch point and Wake Island.
Story 1283
May 1, 1942 Makassar Straits (90 miles east north east of Balikpapan)
O-19’s periscope popped back under the waves. The Dutch skipper had seen for three seconds what his hydrophone technician had been telling him for the past hour. He ordered turns for four knots and a course change to the east to catch the next zig. The four forward tubes were made ready.
Seventeen minutes later, the periscope slid back up. He shouted out the final bearings and range almost as soon as his eye was on the rubber flanged eyepiece. A battleship was sixteen hundred yards away.
Four torpedoes were ejected. They streaked towards the Japanese fleet that was moving through the Makassar Strait at twenty two knots. The Dutch skipper did not wait to see what the results of his attack would produce. He took the boat deep, her keel leveling out at eighty meters and the screws forced the boat forward at six knots to clear the launch point as quickly as possible. He had started the stalk with ninety four percent charge in the batteries and four minutes after three of his torpedoes exploded, he had sixty two percent charge left with which he could evade the inevitable counterattack.
The hydrophone operator heard the sounds of a large ship breaking up above him and then a series of depth charges going off above and behind the submarine. The captain ordered the screws to make steerage and no more than that as he wanted to keep his depth and make no noise for the hydrophones to pick up.
Above him, the heavy cruiser Tone was a floating wreck. Her stern had already sank while the forward two thirds of the ship slowly and then quickly took on water. The Emperor’s portrait was in the process of being transferred to a destroyer just as the forward third of the ship broke off from the middle third and dove the sea bed. Within seconds, hundreds of men were underwater and only a few would ever make it to the surface again.
The carriers of the Kido Butai continued south at twenty two knots.
O-19’s periscope popped back under the waves. The Dutch skipper had seen for three seconds what his hydrophone technician had been telling him for the past hour. He ordered turns for four knots and a course change to the east to catch the next zig. The four forward tubes were made ready.
Seventeen minutes later, the periscope slid back up. He shouted out the final bearings and range almost as soon as his eye was on the rubber flanged eyepiece. A battleship was sixteen hundred yards away.
Four torpedoes were ejected. They streaked towards the Japanese fleet that was moving through the Makassar Strait at twenty two knots. The Dutch skipper did not wait to see what the results of his attack would produce. He took the boat deep, her keel leveling out at eighty meters and the screws forced the boat forward at six knots to clear the launch point as quickly as possible. He had started the stalk with ninety four percent charge in the batteries and four minutes after three of his torpedoes exploded, he had sixty two percent charge left with which he could evade the inevitable counterattack.
The hydrophone operator heard the sounds of a large ship breaking up above him and then a series of depth charges going off above and behind the submarine. The captain ordered the screws to make steerage and no more than that as he wanted to keep his depth and make no noise for the hydrophones to pick up.
Above him, the heavy cruiser Tone was a floating wreck. Her stern had already sank while the forward two thirds of the ship slowly and then quickly took on water. The Emperor’s portrait was in the process of being transferred to a destroyer just as the forward third of the ship broke off from the middle third and dove the sea bed. Within seconds, hundreds of men were underwater and only a few would ever make it to the surface again.
The carriers of the Kido Butai continued south at twenty two knots.
Story 1284
May 1, 1942 Java
Passenger cars were shunted off to the side of the station. Freight cars were waiting on the sidelings. Seven trains starting in Batavia had absolute priority. They would only slow for fuel and water. Orders had gone up and down the track to clear all traffic.
Aboard one of the trains, the Royal Rifles waited. The battalion had been in the Tropics for months now and even still it was too hot for the men who had grown up where winter was the dominant season. They had used the time to good advantage, training and getting fit after they had gotten lazy and fat in garrison duty in Newfoundland. The rumor was that the Japanese were about to land on the far eastern end of Java, so the entirety of C-Force including an Indian battalion and the 1st Free Dutch Infantry Brigade plus a Scottish field artillery regiment was being moved to reinforce the garrison at the port of Surabaya. The port was covered by a company of American marines and a regiment of Dutch militia. A determined assault would overwhelm them. Two heavy brigades in good positions would change the equation.
The train slowed. They were one hundred and eighty miles from their destination and the men had an hour to eat lunch and stretch their legs as the engineers took on more fuel and water.
Passenger cars were shunted off to the side of the station. Freight cars were waiting on the sidelings. Seven trains starting in Batavia had absolute priority. They would only slow for fuel and water. Orders had gone up and down the track to clear all traffic.
Aboard one of the trains, the Royal Rifles waited. The battalion had been in the Tropics for months now and even still it was too hot for the men who had grown up where winter was the dominant season. They had used the time to good advantage, training and getting fit after they had gotten lazy and fat in garrison duty in Newfoundland. The rumor was that the Japanese were about to land on the far eastern end of Java, so the entirety of C-Force including an Indian battalion and the 1st Free Dutch Infantry Brigade plus a Scottish field artillery regiment was being moved to reinforce the garrison at the port of Surabaya. The port was covered by a company of American marines and a regiment of Dutch militia. A determined assault would overwhelm them. Two heavy brigades in good positions would change the equation.
The train slowed. They were one hundred and eighty miles from their destination and the men had an hour to eat lunch and stretch their legs as the engineers took on more fuel and water.
- Status