[Fritz]

End Of July, 1944


CENTRAL

A Japanese airstrike hit an escort carrier, breaching her hull under the waterline and rupturing her ships fuel. Counter flooding to keep the deck level allowed the ship to launch her aircraft to Ulithi, however 350 crew perished as a late day strike hit the carrier as she was being towed. The second torpedo found an aviation gas store and the resulting explosion ripped the flight deck clean off the ship and send her immediately into a hard list. As dark approached the ship rolled over and sank.

TF CV Franklin has made Pearl Harbor, had the patches checked, and is now moving to Seattle to have the hull and several internal compartment replaced. While she is there, new AA guns will be installed. This will probably keep her out of the war until 1945.

TF CV Lexington is making for Pearl Harbor. Salt Water corrosion to her steam system will keep her in out of service for at least a month, perhaps 2.

TF CV Hancock, fresh from Quincy via Panama is making her way to the moorings at Guam. He she will support the Saipan landings.

Following landings on Saipan, the two healthiest Fleet Carriers will make their way to the SW area.

Daily bombardments for the better part of a month have been directed at the beaches of Saipan. Despite the tremendous pounding, heavy shore guns have managed to return fire.

The 6th Marines, and 27th Infantry are being moved to Tinian where they will join the 2nd Marines. The three divisions are slated to launch an invasion equal in size to the American portion of Overlord.

B29s recently arrived on Tinian have given the allies the long legs to strike the Japan home islands and costal China. Strikes against depots and factories around Shanghi, Hwangchow, Foochow, Tokyo, and Hammatsu are bringing the war to the doorstep of the living god.

SOUTHWEST

AUS I Corp has moved to Madang and engaged 20,000 Japanese. The troops have been surprised to find a shockingly well supplied foe.

With the promise of Carrier support, General Bradley issues orders to the 6th US Division, 1st Marine Division, and AMERICAL Division to prepare for an invasion Mindanao. Air strikes from Morotai and Kendari have targeted anything that looks like an airstrip in the southern Philippines.

Australian forces continue to mop up southern Borneo.


CBI

British forces take positions to the north of Akyab. 3 Divisions with Armor support are being moved into place to assault the city. British Forces moving from Ledo are approaching Mytkina from the north while a mixed British/Chinese force are moving from Kunming in the south. capturing this city will open a supply road from India to China. A second Chinese force from Kunming is moving to Lashio. Once Mytkina and Lashio are open, the combined British force will move west towards Mandalay.

Forces in China, now under the umbrella of Pacific command are in the process of reorganizing their lines.

A massive supply convoy is forming near Kendari. A portion of this convoy will be used to create stockpiles on Mindanao, while the rest under the guard of carriers and cruisers will move between Borneo and the Philippines then across the South China Sea to the one Chinese held port. The run is expected to be more dangerous than any of the Lend Lease runs to Russia via the North Sea.