Another italian division in the bag. Once they've processed all the prisoners, the divisions motor pool will prove useful supporting the continued advance. I wonder if the RN are preparing another amphibious assault, to cut the coastal road between Ras Lanuf and Sirte? Alternatively, they'll just continue the centuries old tradition of naval interdiction of the enemies supply chain.
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Story 0854
December 3, 1941 Subic Bay
Sixteen olive drab two and a half ton trucks, and eight five ton trucks with white stars on their hood left Subic Bay with enough ammunition for a week’s worth of heavy firing by a battery of naval six inch guns. Following the ammunition convoy was a ragtag collection of recently impressed civilian trucks and private vehicles. The trucks were carrying food and fuel in steel drums while the civilian cars were stuffed to the gills with the random detritus of an army; boots, sewing machines, a dentist chair, tents, whistles, clocks, compasses, knives, pots and pans.
This was the second day of the evacuation of the small American post at Subic Bay. The 4th Marines would defend the base and the Catalinas until their position was untenable.
As the convoy arrived at Bataan, harried quartermasters and clerks attempted to shift some trucks south to the main supply dumps while other trucks were ordered to head to Bagac where the 4th Marines would be based. Five trucks spent the next thirty six hours driving around the entire peninsula as no one was quite sure where they belonged. Finally, an enterprising quartermaster attached to the 41st Division decided to take responsibility for 500,000 cigarettes and 3,000 pounds of canned ham and the instruments of the Marine band on the theory that if no one else wanted them no one would care that he had them. He could bargain for something useful later.
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Okay, that is the end of 12/3/41
My writing plan is to get roughly a day a day for the week. Some of these posts are some of the oldest parts of the story and others are things that are filling in the gap and the world as it has evolved. Hopefully the style discontinuity is not too jarring.
My writing plan is to get roughly a day a day for the week. Some of these posts are some of the oldest parts of the story and others are things that are filling in the gap and the world as it has evolved. Hopefully the style discontinuity is not too jarring.
Realistically, it is two + Italian infantry divisions that will be in the bag sooner rather than later.
As far as the RN, they are worn out and need a refit cycle. The amphibious raiders also need time to recover. 8th Army is more than happy to fight systemic battles, grab a flank and cut off the Italian and German supply lines for a bit to force a retreat. At this point, with Panzer Army Africa falling back to Sirte and/or Mistrata, their supply situation will start getting better than the 8th Army as Benghazi is starting to get too far to the rrear.
I finally found this bit of trivia, after looking for it for some time. From Edwin P. Hoyt's "The Lonely Ships" 1976, David McKay Co. New York New York.
P.144 "The awning spreaders were cut off and the bases made into mounts for the twenty six Browning and Lewis machine guns the boat carried." In preceding pages it describes taking on 400 extra 3" rounds and 1/2 million rounds of .30 caliber. The Tug Ranger (Luzon Stevedoring Company, by happy chance in Hong Kong harbor at the same time on 2 Dec 1941, at midnight of the 4th Mindanao set sail for Manila with Ranger following later) took the other half, along with extra provisions and engine parts. So, her ordinary armament of 2 3" guns and 10 .30 mgs was augmented by an additional 16 .30 mgs. Would have been quite the show seeing them all firing.
P.144 "The awning spreaders were cut off and the bases made into mounts for the twenty six Browning and Lewis machine guns the boat carried." In preceding pages it describes taking on 400 extra 3" rounds and 1/2 million rounds of .30 caliber. The Tug Ranger (Luzon Stevedoring Company, by happy chance in Hong Kong harbor at the same time on 2 Dec 1941, at midnight of the 4th Mindanao set sail for Manila with Ranger following later) took the other half, along with extra provisions and engine parts. So, her ordinary armament of 2 3" guns and 10 .30 mgs was augmented by an additional 16 .30 mgs. Would have been quite the show seeing them all firing.
The entire clubhouse has been encased in a level of concrete protection, not again seen until The Atlantic wall and the huge German Submarine pens, later in the war!
Using a fictional China Gunboats, "The voyage on the SanPablo", oldest Gunboats on the station, escapes,overloaded with crew dependents, civilians, towing, 2 barges of coal, making the run from Shanghai in mid november..
Thinking with Voyage of the San Pablo, something along the lines of John Wayne movie, "Boold Alley" Edward G Robinson, as old Chief or Mustang CO,
I'd like to see Peter Lorre in there somewhere, maybe the agent who is escaping while he can, or simply a man with a past who enlisted to escape notice, and is now caught on a probably doomed RGB. Edward G. Robinson, oh Lord yes! I've not thought of him for years. Yeah, he would be perfect in that role. I may have to see if You Tube has some classics I can watch tomorrow.
Driftless
Donor
A "B" movie version of Casablance set in Saigon. Instead of everyone trying to get to neutral Lisbon, they're probably shooting for Singapore or Manila.. A twist from movie history: Claude Rains as the morally ambiguous anti-hero, who has his epiphany and comes back to the Allied side.
A rousing "Wake Island" would work very well. Brian Donlevy set the right tone in the original.
Gary Cooper portraying Gen Jonathan Wainright - regardless of how the Philippine campaign plays out.
Cary Grant, Victor Maclaglen loosely borrowing the plot from "Gunga Din" and transplanting the story to Malaya
The OTL history of the USS Lanakai would have provided good movie material - Should work here as well.
Depending on what else Monty does in the war.... Errol Flynn as "Monty of Malaya"! Of course that requires a little "Hollywood treatment" of Monty's irascibility.
That's just a few ideas, and Fester's just about to raise the curtain on a lot more!
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Look for the Movie, Destroyer(1943) Glen Ford, Edward G Robinson.. you will be surprised..
Just watched a couple scenes of it, will have to watch more today when I get back. Good movie! Here's a different set of folks who may do their bit for the war effort. A bit early, but you know they'll get in there somewhere.
Crap, wrong movie. The Three Stooges are the fellows I wanted.
Crap, wrong movie. The Three Stooges are the fellows I wanted.
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Story 0854
December 4, 1941 Moscow
Another train stopped. Three dozen tanks were on flat beds. The crews quickly moved to unchock the steel monsters and bring them to the ground. German artillery had plastered the yard that morning so urgency was aided by the frozen echoes of life. The wounded had been evacuated, while the dead could wait until night fell.
As the brigade gathered their equipment, mechanics and drivers went over the temperamental tanks with a fine tooth comb while the rest of the crews continued to find white wash, branches, nets and anything else that would offer them some camouflage and a better chance of living through the first hour of the offensive that was rumored.
By late afternoon, the brigade was as ready as it was ever going to be and it moved eight miles to the jumping off positions just behind the infantry divisions that had staunched the German attacks.
Story 0855
December 4, 1941 Leningrad
"Move over"
The young man moved over so that the strong featured blonde young woman could curl under the blanket next to him. In any other circumstances, this would have been sweet but their bodies were still separated by their rifles and their breath formed ice clouds. Both of the young adults were veterans. They had a moment where hot barley and cabbage soup could be enjoyed without drawing enemy fire. Tatianna smiled as her core warmed with each sip of soup. Food was still coming forward to the front but not as much as before. She was already down two kilos in the past two weeks. Lake Lagoda had frozen weeks ago and supply trucks were crossing over the ice in ever increasing numbers. Each convoy into the city brought out civilians, the young and the old first so fewer supplies would be needed on the next convoy. But even with that supply route open, not enough was coming through. Artillery ammunition had the first priority and then fuel and then food. Tatianna dunked a small piece of coarse bread into her soup and allowed it to soak up the flavor and soften so that she would not damage her teeth.
The two young veterans who in other times would have greatly enjoyed being pressed up against each other underneath a shared blanket stayed silent when the company commander came through the trenches to organize a night time trench raid. Combat promised excitement and action which smart veterans knew to avoid unless it was absolutely necessary.
"Move over"
The young man moved over so that the strong featured blonde young woman could curl under the blanket next to him. In any other circumstances, this would have been sweet but their bodies were still separated by their rifles and their breath formed ice clouds. Both of the young adults were veterans. They had a moment where hot barley and cabbage soup could be enjoyed without drawing enemy fire. Tatianna smiled as her core warmed with each sip of soup. Food was still coming forward to the front but not as much as before. She was already down two kilos in the past two weeks. Lake Lagoda had frozen weeks ago and supply trucks were crossing over the ice in ever increasing numbers. Each convoy into the city brought out civilians, the young and the old first so fewer supplies would be needed on the next convoy. But even with that supply route open, not enough was coming through. Artillery ammunition had the first priority and then fuel and then food. Tatianna dunked a small piece of coarse bread into her soup and allowed it to soak up the flavor and soften so that she would not damage her teeth.
The two young veterans who in other times would have greatly enjoyed being pressed up against each other underneath a shared blanket stayed silent when the company commander came through the trenches to organize a night time trench raid. Combat promised excitement and action which smart veterans knew to avoid unless it was absolutely necessary.
Cool updates, no pun intended. Think you missed a thread mark on the last one.
Story 0856
December 4, 1941 IJNS AKAGI
The Kido Butai continued to progress through the violent North Pacific. Double lookouts had been posted since dawn for every day of the journey across the deserted tracks of the world's greatest ocean. A few dolphins wakes were spotted yesterday and a destroyer was dispatched to confirm it was not a submarine but so far, no man made items had been spotted other than the ships in the Surprise Attack Force.
The destroyers were tossing and turning in the thirty foot waves so refueling was cancelled for the day. They would try again tomorrow. A desperate operation had just lost its margin of error. If the US Fleet emerged for battle from Pearl Harbor, the light vessels of the carrier escort would be hampered by their lack of fuel.
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