19 May 1942
B-25 squadron decimated over Kaifeng
Timor
We're running out of planes to defend the island with. We lost one of the few P-40s that took off today and shot down nothing.
We planned on sending Liberators to Kendari and the B-17s to Ambon to try to reduce the enemy fighter threat. Weather hampered us; the B-17's mission was cancelled and the LB-30s didn't deal significant damage. One LB-30 was lost to flak.
Thailand
Each side lost a fighter over Tavoy. Our reserve armies are now in contact with some of the road blocking forces near Raheng and will engage tomorrow.
China
There are now Zeroes and Nates protecting Kaifeng. The B-25s were the first to find out and they arrived without their escorts thanks to Murphy. One was shot down by the Zeroes and another lost to flak... but the remaining aircraft were so badly damaged that many didn't make the return trip or had to be scrapped after they landed. I have one operational B-25 left in China, with 4-5 more expected to be repaired and returned to service.
The situation on the ground isn't looking so great anymore. We reinforced the north end of the frontline (Tsiaotso) as he was pulling troops out of there, but when we attacked we didn't make any progress and took heavy casualties for trying (3300 to 500). Further north, he's pulling troops away from a river/mountain pass he was guarding, and I'm going to fill that space, but I don't know if I'll turn that into something meaningful. Kaifeng itself is still up for grabs but it really depends on who can muster more reinforcements at this point.
Strait of Malacca
I've lost track of the ARG and its likely covering force. I'm deploying assets to try to pick them up before they arrive at Tavoy, if that is indeed where they're headed.
SouthPAC
Quiet today, but there are still enemy planes scouting Pago, so I don't think they've left yet.
Well, not that quiet I guess, the fires are still burning on a few ships...
xAK San Simeon sinks in port
Reinforcements/Refits
I had to withdraw 5 squadrons today to send to Europe, one group of Fulmars that was training on the Hermes, and 4 US training squadrons.
Radar installation:
SS Salmon begins refit while under repair at Dutch Harbor
SS Stingray taken out of commission to begin refit at Palembang
SS Seawolf taken out of commission to begin refit at Brisbane
AA upgrades:
Repairs completed on AM Bayfield at Seattle, ship returned to service
New Arrivals:
TK British Hope arrives at Abadan
VT-5 arrives at San Francisco (The Yorktown's old squadron being reformed. I'll use them for training.)
303rd BG/359th BS arrives at Mojave
23rd FG/75th FS arrives at Aden (23/25 P-40s--headed to Burma via India)
632nd Tank Destroyer Battalion arrives at San Francisco (full strength, unrestricted)
5th Marine Regiment arrives at Eastern USA (full strength, unrestricted)
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