Allied defense of Mindanao collapses! Japanese also capture Malacca!

ACTION SUMMARY: Japanese forces advanced on the ground across the breadth of the Pacific today accomplishing stunning victories in Mindanao and Malacca. At Cagayan Mindanao, the 101st Phillipino Division was unable to sustain a sudden Japanese assault that bursted through the jungles. The airbase at Cagayan was swiftly overrun shortly after American airbase personnel set fire to some 40+ fighter aircraft based there. The sudden loss of Cagayan has upset the Allied defense in the Southern Phillipines, considered the gateway to the oil-rich Dutch East Indies. From Cagayan flew the B-17 flights that had bombed the Jolo airfield for the past month, sustaining the Redoubt convoys and other naval movements in the area against Japanese air attack. The B-17's have since withdrawn to the ADBA command on Celebes, but the fighters remained at Cagayan. Now they are all destroyed, the last fighters of the once impressive USAAF's air force in Asia. Now 3,000 Phillipino soldiers and American base personnel have fled SE into the jungles as 8,000 Japanese soldiers moved in to occupy the important airbase at Cagayan, Mindanao.



In Malacca, the Japanese 56th Division sprung upon the 22nd Indian Brigade after an arduous trek over the spine of Malaya. The 22nd Indian Brigade, already suffering low morale from their grueling retreat from Khota Bharu three weeks before, fled north towards the Commonwealth stronghold of Georgetown in Central Malaya where the 7,600 men defending Alor Starr are holding the door open for Commonwealth forces seeking refuge throughout Central Malaya. Malacca was swiftly occupied by the 56th Jap Division.

At Alor Starr, 7,600 soldiers from two brigades are defending gloriously against the sustained Japanese assault. Their defensive positions all but overrun, Japanese hubris led to the enemy over-extending their advance. In a crushing flanking maneuver through the jungles, the 12th Indian Brigade smashed two regiments of Japanese infantry. The 16,000 men of the Japanese 55th Division lost some 2,000 men in the disaster. Whereas it was thought Alor Starr could not hold out for the past two days, the Commonwealth forces guarding the approaches to Georgetown have given the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth their first respite and clear victory. Still, the Alor Starr position is growing quickly untenable, and preparations for withdrawal to Georgetown continue.

Fighting continued in Manila where the Japanese launched another foolish attack. Around 1,200 of their soldiers died in hard close combat in the Manila outskirts where 10,000 Phillipino soldiers and American base personnel are defending doggedly against the 23,000 Japanese soldiers.

The Japanese also landed troops off Ambon today. There, two batallions of Dutch colonial infantry are defending. Contact with the enemy is expected tomorrow. Additional troops also landed at Rabaul. Fighting continued at Tavoy where the 2nd Burma continues to resist desperately, and an AK was sunk off the Bataan Redoubt today.

The U.S.S. Yorktown has left drydock and is now bound for Pearl Harbor, bringing U.S. carrier strength up to four aircraft carriers. She is escorted by 5 destroyers. New Gato-class submarines have also been placed on the U.S. Submarine Command's roster. They are being deployed to the South Pacific. Also, a massive glut of transports and several regimental size infantry regiments have also been made ready at San Francisco to join the war effort in the Pacific.

No warroom today.

Japanese advance into Manila. Alor Starr defenses breached!

ACTION SUMMARY: The vanguard of the Japanese Southern Luzon force met resistance from the entrapped 71st and 91st Phillipino Divisions in the outskirts of Manila. Bridges were demolished and hasty entrenchments were dug as the full breadth of the Japanese assault up southern Luzon is expected to make contact tomorrow.



Meanwhile, Japanese forces have also blasted through the last line of jungle defenses at Alor Starr, the Commonwealth military depot in Malaya. Commonwealth forces are preparing to evacuate the untenable position and fall back to Georgetown.

Ground fighting was reported elsewhere in Rabaul where additional Japanese naval infantry from the Maizura SNLF landed under sparodic and uncoordinated fire from ANZAC beach patrols. Sorties from the few ANZAC bombers left at both Ambon and Rabaul failed to score any hits on the Japanese transports lying at anchor. No reports on the Kido Butai, or the light carrier forces spotted at Ambon two days ago.

The offensive in China, since quiet for over two weeks, kicked off again with a renewed counter-offensive at Wuchow. The results were disasterous for the ill-equipped, poorly-supplies Chinese as 3,200 casualties were reported in the first day of fighting. The Japanese are well dug into Wuchow, and trench warfare appears to have set in among the maze of improvised entrenchments among the ricefields outside of Wuchow. The Chinese will not be renewing their offensive tomorrow. An uneasy stalemate hangs over China as the Japanese have not pressed their three main axes of advance at Wuchow, Changsha or Yenen. Chinese forces, however, remain cut off at Hanoi.

Fighting was also reported at Tavoy in Burma where the 1st Burma Brigade is trapped and fighting tooth and nail against the whole of the 55th Japanese Army Division. Also, heavy Betty raids over Manila Bay struck two transports from Singapore unloading supplies off the beaches of the Bataan Redoubt. I was surprised that these transports even made it, having run the gauntlet through the South China Sea where Japanese airpower dominates the approaches to the Phillipines.

No other activity today. I've ordered new sub deployments to the Congo theatre and saw off two troop and aircraft convoys for Pearl Harbor and Canton Island. Spruance's task force is moving into position just south Palmyra in case the Kido Butai is sighted off Canton Island. Sherman's carrier group is moving into position east of Canton for the same reasons. The Japanese will be at a disadvantage if they move any of their carrier forces beyond the range of their land-based recon, the closest of which is in Tarawa off the Marianas.

No warroom today.

Japanese renew offensive in Malaya and Burma!

ACTION SUMMARY: Japanese landings continued today at Rabaul where the two battalions of Australian infantry offered ineffectual resistance. The Japanese also began marching up Ambon Island toward the Dutch base at the north end of the island. Transports were also sighted approaching Ambon from the north. No carrier activity today, though the SS Perch on patrol off Truk Island was attacked by carrier aircraft. The Kido Butai could be heading back to port at Truk.

The Japanese also renewed their advance against Georgetown by attacking Alor Starr just east of the port. There, the Japanese 5th Division crumpled the flanks of the two Commonwealth brigades dug into the jungle. British forces were forced to fall back to their final lines of defense, though it is expected that the Japanese will make their breakthrough tomorrow in a follow-up attack. After that, they will march on Georgetown, the last Allied stronghold in Malaya before Singapore/Jahore.

The Japanese also began to beat against the last remnants of the 1st Burma Brigade holding tenuously to their pocket of resistance in Tavoy, south of Rangoon. They are not expected to last another day or two before surrendering hopelessly. With all Fullback operations cancelled (save for a transport run to Akyab), there is no hope of rescue for any cut-off British forces in Burma or Malaya.

Jap Betty bombers attempted to attack Cagayan today. They were unescorted and were jumped by the mish-mash collection of American fighters gathered there. Meanwhile, B-17's made their daily run against Jolo. And I've ordered various British bomber units to begin striking strategic targets throughout Indochina, including a raid scheduled for tomorrow over lately captured Rangoon.

No warroom today.

Ten thousand troops surrender at Rangoon! Japanese land at Rabaul!

ACTION SUMMARY: Nearly 10,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers surrendered at Rangoon today in a humiliating ceremony at the Government House. The defenders of Rangoon were immediately marched into the jungle to work on the railways. This is a critical moment for the Burma campaign as British forces continue to march slowly to Akyab and British forces at Mandalay continue to dig in. Andaman Island now comes under threat from Japanese aircraft soon to be based at Rangoon. The British Imperial General Staff is rushing new orders of Hurricane fighters to the front to deal with the new threat. The threat of the 80,000+ soldiers at Singapore being completely cut off from the rest of the Commonwealth is growing more near.

In Rabaul, the Empire of Japan broadened its offensive by landing at the Admiraly Islands and Kavieng near New Britain. A handful of Japanese Naval Landing forces landed at the outskirts of Rabaul supported by the Kido Butai's air contingent, which was spotted off New Britain at dawn still looming NE of Rabaul. More infantry is expected to follow on at Rabaul where capitulation is certain.



The Allied command continues to rapidly adjust forces by concentrating remaining surface units off New Zealand for Operation Bogus, including two heavy cruisers, two light cruisers and a handful of destroyers. Bogus has already suffered immensely by the loss of two light cruisers at Rabaul. The operation continues to be hampered by the slow mobilization of Australian and New Zealand ground units. Meanwhile, Congo surface units continue to shift to Pago Pago to allow for the parallel movement of action groups in case the Japanese continue to advance towards the Southern Pacific lifeline.

The Luchenbach sank today, destroying all 20 Wildcat fighters aboard. ASW units are scowering the area searching for Jap subs. The U.S. Pacific command has also deployed six squadrons of Catalinas seaplanes abroad to the Aleutians, Midway, Wake Island and Canton Island to improve recon coverage.

No other activity today. No warroom.

Japanese land near Ambon and New Britain! Rangoon nearing capitulation!

ACTION SUMMARY: The Japanese landed light garrison forces at Biak off New Guinea and Bulla at the southern part of Ambon Island. They have also landed at Emirau Island just north of New Britain. Only a battalion of infantry is holding Ambon, just forty miles from where the Japanese have landed. A light carrier group continues to hover off Ambon where Hudson bombers have failed to hit the light carrier Zuiho.



Off Rabaul, the Kido Butai launched a massive airstrike again today against the colonial capital of New Britain destroying several aircraft on the ground. This was in support of their landings at Emirau Island just north of Rabaul. With the Rabaul airfields in smoking ruins, the Kido Butai slipped off into open sea where contact was lost. It was last seen headed east for the Marshalls. The United States South Pacific Command has been placed on high alert. It is possible the KB could now be headed towards the Congo Theatre to neutralize U.S. installations there where it is known that U.S. surface forces have been operating.



On the heels of these alarming reports, the U.S. Pacific Command has ordered up to steam the U.S.S. Lexington to sail for a position east of Canton Island. The several cruisers and destroyers (plus the BB Colorado) are ordered to sail south for Pago Pago. B-17's and Catalina forces at Canton are ordered on dense recon flights, and transports bound for Canton have been ordered to give wide berth to the islands. The Kido Butai is like a hurricane sweeping across the Pacific.

The Pacific Fleet also underwent a major command change as Admiral Nimitz was placed in command of the Central Pacific Fleet Command, relieving Admiral Kimmel for staff duties. Rear Admiral Sherman relieved Admiral Brown as commander of Lexington's TF 1005, and Admiral Spruance was hand-picked to command TF 1147 as it sailed from Pearl Harbor with two cruisers and multiple cruisers and destroyers as it departed for Palmyra Atoll in anticipation of the Congo Theatre further heating up with the arrival of major Japanese surface units. Admiral Freeman also replaced Admiral Ghormley as South Pacific Fleet commander.



Meanwhile, off the West Coast, a Congo convoy was attacked by a Japanese sub, which managed to torpedo the SS Luckenbach, laden with 20 Wildcat fighters. The sub was lying just beyond my ASW flight patrols and destroyer net. The Luckenbach is limping back to Los Angeles where destroyers are speeding west to intercept any further sub contacts. My poverty of destroyers along the West Coast is being acutely felt as a Japanese sub may have destroyed a whole fighter squadron!



Operation Ivy moves forward with a regimental combat team and engineer's batallion headed for the remote Aleutian Island of Kiska where they will set up a sub anchorage and small airfield. Expansion of the airfield could allow it to support aircraft with the range to strike Japan's northern Kurile bases.

In Burma today, the Japanese Imperial Guards Division broke through the thin defenses thrown up by the 2nd Burma Rifles Brigade. The city is expected to fall tomorrow. There were also airstrikes against the trapped Phillipino forces in the central highlands of Luzon.

Here's the warroom:

Commonwealth cruisers sunk at Rabaul! Royal Navy suspends all Fullback operations!

ACTION SUMMARY: A large Japanese carrier force was spotted 200 miles north of New Britain as Allied intelligence became more certain of a new Japanese thrust southwards towards Australia. Four massive air strikes of over 80+ planes each struck Rabaul harbor where the Commonwealth cruisers Leander and Achilles were docked. Both light cruisers were ravaged from the air along with three transports trapped within the harbor. The airfield at Rabaul was also bombed, and only a few ancient Wirraway fighters were able to scramble to the defense of the colonial capital.

Japanese carrier forces of Ambon continued to hover menacingly, though no transports have advanced towards the eastern gateway to the Java Sea. The light carrier Hosho and battleship Hyuka were also spotted with the Japanese fleet menacing Ambon.




After a day of Japanese bombers formations ranging across the East Bengal Sea, the Royal Navy has suspended all Fullback operations until further notice. Six transports were struck off Moulmein, Georgetown and Rangoon as Betty bombers were positioned off the Malay Coast to tighten the noose on the fortress of Singapore.



Elsewhere, Japanese Betty bombers based at Clark AFB made their first airstrike against Borneo as 38 bombers arrived over the oil fields and harbor at dawn to strike the airfield just outside the city. The damage was minimal due to poor weather. The position is swiftly becoming untenable as Cagayan had for my B-17's. As such, I have transferred several Dutch torpedo bombers to the ADBA command interior.

An airstrike by my B-17's produced little results over both Jolo and the Japanese fleet off Ambon. Hudson bombers based at Ambon also posted negligible results.

Here's the warroom:

Japanese invading Dutch East Indies! Heavy air raids against Fullback convoys today!

ACTION SUMMARY: The Empire of Japan continued its relentless advance today towards the Dutch East Indies as three groups of warships were sighted just north of Ambon, between Celebes and New Guinea. Ambon is the easternmost outpost of Dutch colonial forces where a battalion of infantry, base personnel and a company of light coastal artillery are preparing to resist the upcoming Japanese landings.

The enemy fleet was sighted in the early morning hours by Dornier boats flying from Ambon. The battleship Fuso and Nagato were positively identified along with the light carrier Zuiho, which launched an airstrike against the Ambon airfield toward noon. The enemy invasion fleet is expected off Ambon tomorrow where it is certain a preliminary bombardment by battleships will smash the islands light coastal defenses.

ADBA has been placed on alert and B-17's are slated for operations against the invasion fleet in the morning. This move will effectively cut off not only the Keystone convoy operations, but pinch off the sea conduit between the British and American theares of operation, with Northern Australia and the DEI hanging precariously beneath the hammer. The Allied command is not prepared to risk the ADBA cruiser forces at this time to repel an invasion that is approaching from the open sea and supported by carrier-based planes.



In China, the Japanese Kwantung Army is staging for a renewal of their Manchuria offensive against Yenen. Sketchy intelligence shows several divisions massing along a broad front that has the potential to cut off the nine Chinese corps defending the city. Elsewhere, the uneasy stalemate continues near Changsha, and the daily attrition drags on at Wuchow. At Hanoi, however, the 50th and 27th Chinese Corps along with the regional HQ are now completely sealed off from escape back to Hunan Province. It is only a matter of time before they surrender and are forced into slave labor in the Japanese jungle camps.



Forward Japanese airbases in the Malayas launched a several strikes today against the Commonwealth's Fullback convoys off Andaman and Nicobar Island. The anti-aircraft cruiser Capetown was torpedoed in three seperate massed airstrikes and was sunk with heavy loss in life. She was sheparding two supply-laden transports who escaped unharmed into the night, but dawn will still see the transports within range of the Betty bombers based in Malaya. Off Andaman, a transport was also sunk by streams of Sally and Betty bombers. More painfully, the AK Empire was sunk off Rangoon, the only transport evacuating personnel from Rangoon. In the end, all Commonwealth personnel and soldiers in Rangoon will soon be working on the Burma railway.



Operation Ivy is expanding to include the landing of a U.S. Army regimental combat team on Kiska Island in the Western Aleutians. Once landed, they will begin building a forward operating base for Operation Ivy submarines, and which in the future can accept squadrons of the newer long-range bombers now under development that can reach the Japanese-held Kuriles directly.

In the Phillipines, the Japanese continued to occupy Palawan Island by marching into Puerto Princessa unopposed. With Palawan within Japanese hands, it is only a matter of time before Japanese transports ready to disgorge their troops onto the oil-rich coast of Borneo.

Intelligence also reports that two Japanese transports sank off Tarawa, indicating that the damage inflicted by my destroyers yesterday were fatal. The second sinking indicated that my submarine that had torpedoed a Jap transport off the Marshalls finally can chalk up her kill.

Here is the warroom:

American destroyers thwart attempted landing at Baker Island! 1st Burma Brigade cut off in south Burma!

ACTION SUMMARY: Four American destroyers intercepted a Japanese fast-attack transport attempting to make a landing at Baker Island. The destroyers opened fire on the transport at night, holing her at least 8 times with 5 inch shells and slamming a torpedo into her amidships. The transport limped away as the U.S. destroyers approached the Japanese air umbrella at Tarawa Island and turned around. This marks a significant feat in Operation Congo. This is the second Japanese advance against the Pacific Fleet that has been stopped, the first being Wake Island during the first week of war.

Though it had been thought that the Japanese transports approaching Baker had turned around, it was certainly not case as the enemy was unaware of the presence of surface units in the vicinity. This demonstrates gaps in Japanese intelligence resulting from a lack of forward recon bases. The Lexington has been ordered to replenish at Palmyra and prepare to move in aide of Baker Island should the Japanese return.



In the Phillipines, the Japanese launched their first air raid over Mindanao from their newly captured base at Clark Air Force Base. Bad weather mitigated the accuracy of the bombing raid, but several allied aircraft were shot down or damaged.



As a result, the United States Pacific Fleet ordered the transfer of command of the B-17 groups based at Mindanao to airbases at Celebes where they are now under the ADBA command. This transfer was not before the B-17's launched their air raid against Naga in Southern Luzon where stiff Japanese Army Air Force umbrella saw the downing of six Allied aircraft in return for three Japanese Oscars destroyed on the ground.

The Japanese also made a landing at Taytay on Palawan Island in the western Phillipines. There was no troops there to resist them. In Burma, the 1st Burma Brigade was cut off from all Allied forces when a flying column of Japanese jungle infantry captured Tavoy in Southern Burma. The Taytay operation marks a new change in the axis of advance for Japanese forces, as Taytay directly threatens the Dutch and British possessions on Borneo. ADBA is on alert.

Japanese air forces flying from forward bases in Malaya also struck airfields at Pematang, Sumatra where several British bombers are based. A 30+ plane raid of JAAF Sally bombers destroyed nine Blenheim bombers on the ground. These planes, slated for transfer to Andaman Island anyway, were flown out to their new bases later the day.

Elsewhere, Nationalist Chinese air forces made their daily bombing raids against Japanese positions outside of Wuchow and Changsha. The Japanese also launched a deliberate attack against Chinese forces trapped at Hanoi. Two divisions of Japanese-allied Viet Minh troops struck the 17,000 men of the two Chinese corps dug into the mountains and suffered terrible casualties, losing almost 8% of their attack strength for just a handful of Chinese casualties and no ground gained.

Another air raid over Bataan resulted in poor results for Japanese bombers flying from Formosa.

No warroom.

Japanese cancel Baker Island landings. Rangoon under assault!

ACTION SUMMARY: CINCPAC has ordered two battlegroups, including the U.S.S. Lexington battlegroup, to stand down from their movements in defense of Baker Island. U.S. recon planes reported that the Japanese transports approaching Baker Island have turned around. At dawn, the U.S. Southern Destroyer force that had sailed at high speed to Baker Island hove into sight of the atoll to await the arrival of enemy ships that never arrived. CINCPAC has ordered for the destroyer force to remain on station for another day before returning to Canton Island. The Lexington will return to station at Palmyra Atoll where a replenishment group is based.

The Japanese opened their ground offensive against Rangoon where the 2nd Burma Rifles is entrenched. It has been reported that there is heavy fighting in the Rangoon outskirts as the 18,000 men of the 5th Imperial Guards Division is advancing on the Burmese colonial capital. At this very moment, the transport Briton Star has arrived off the city to take on the base personnel trapped in the city. A squadron of Buffalo fighters then based at Rangoon have since transferred to Andaman Island, the critical fulcrum of Operation Fullback.

The Japanese are preparing to renew their full-scaled offensive down the Malay Peninsula as Allied intelligence reported Japanese Army Air Force squadrons have moved into forward airbases.

Elsewhere, Chinese forces are unable to extricate themselves from their positions at Hanoi where heavy Japanese artillery has pinned down their retrograde movement back to the Chinese border. Meanwhile, Japanese reinforcements from Siam are approaching to completely cut off the two corps at Hanoi.



The Chinese Nationalist Army renewed its offensive in Wuchow after three days of rest and regrouping. Today's attack was costly with 2,500 Chinese casualties against well-entrenched Japanese troops.

No other action today. The Phillipines front remains quiet, though Japanese troops continue to stage just outside of Manila's outskirts in preparation of their final assault against the two Phillipino Divisions trapped there.

No warroom today.