Allied armada ready to take on Japanese for decisive Java Sea battle!

ACTION SUMMARY: Praise heaven! The ADBA force is now concentrated into an awesome force of two battleships, nine light cruisers and twenty four destroyers from four nations. We are ready to meet the Japanese Force H-K in the decisive battle for the Dutch East Indies! Intelligence reports ten ships in his force, though these reports could be unreliable because of poor weather conditions.

Minefields are being laid behind his fleet. The sub barrier is closing in. And best of all, after over 100 sorties by my bombers, their level-bombing has paid off three hits. The Haruna took one bomb, the Kongo two. This is all on top of the Haruna having taken a bomb on December 8th. The speed of his fleet is reduced. I'll be surprised if he's still willing to advance on my ADBA fleet. Here's the sitrep:


As Nelson said, no man can do wrong by bringing his ship alongside the enemy.

In other news, the Japs have landed at Davao in Mindinao. Only a Phillipino division is there to resist, but the presence of a Japanese fighter and bomber group at Jolo is a bad portent. An unseen Jap light carrier had ferried over around 25 Zero fighters and Kate torpedo bombers to Jolo. I found out the hardway when gunboats patrolling the Phillipine islands were attacked in a massive raid. Luckily, my opponent did not know I had a significant number of B-17's at an airfield at northern Mindinao. I have now ordered them to conduct a massive raid on Jolo to destroy his bombers on the ground. Dutch bombers on Borneo have been ordered to conduct the same mission.

Here's the sitrep there:


The removal of all available aviation fuel and oil from the DEI to Australia and India has been designated Operation Keystone. Elsewhere, I am organizing a convoy to convey the 2nd Brigade of the 25th Infantry to Wake Island along with supplies and aviation fuel. This will be probably supported by at least one carrier. I have reason to think that any Japanese designs in the central pacific will have to involve either Wake Island or Canton Island. As such, I'll be organizing a relief expedition to Canton as well.

Not much elsewhere. Fighting continues with the Japanese advances into Malaya and Hong Kong. There is currently a stalemate in Luzon as the Japanese are not currently advancing. As it were, I am consolidating my defensive positions there.

Here's the war room: