WesWorld

April 1
[A] Units of the Gunboat Support Squadron, Rio Parana Support Squadron and the 2nd River Fire Support Squadron have come under heavy aerial and land bombardment as they attempt to reach Encarnation with two Tabors of Infantería de Marina. [Note] The beached gunboat Patria, now a static gun battery to protect the town of Formosa was dive bombed and three near-misses were recorded.

[Note] At this point the RSAA still believed the ships were going to evacuate the trapped force and not until the 2nd was it clear reinforcements had been landed.

April 2
[A] Just after dawn the elderly gunboat Capitan Cabral was sunk by R17 and R18 of the RSAN but La Plata succeeded in sinking two small river transports. As the force neared Encarnation the RSAF attacked with some forty assorted twin and single-engined bombers with around twenty fighters as escorts. The Los Andes was hit by three 500kg bombs; one penetrating the main 75mm ammunition magazine, the ship blew apart taking all but twelve of its crew.

However the RSAF was soon faced with a counter-attack. The newly-formed General San Martin Squadron manned by foreign pilots was thrown into the fray with some nineteen fighters from the Aerea Regimenta Paraguay. The RSAF pilots noticed a new fighter in the skies above Paraguay, silver and white monoplanes with patriotic and revolutionary slogans painted in red along the fuselage sides, the RSAF pilots claimed them either to be the supposed new I-101 fighter or Italian CR.35 fighters [Note]. The twelve pilots of these sleek machines managed to down six bombers between them and strafe a gun battery into the bargain. Total FAA claims were twenty-six kills and nine probables for the loss of only seven fighters. The RSAF claimed ten kills for the loss of five F-6B fighters and nine bombers. The gunboats arrived unmolested and they disembarked their troops and began a six-hour barrage of known RSAA positions. This fire helped the Marines to retake some ground lost earlier including Hill 46 which gave a commanding view over the eastern part of the town. The 2nd River Fire Support Squadron will stay in the area to give fire support and attack RSAA craft.

[Note] These were in fact Italian CR.35 fighters manned by pupils and graduates of the Bergamini Tactical School.

April 4
Planes of Air Fleet 5 covering the northern flank of Grand Uruguay have attacked Brazilian positions and army depots. Intelligence reported preparations for a large assault and so 14th and 21st Bomber Wings flew several sorties with their aging Villant B-8CN bombers. Because of the old planes limited defensive capabilities they were escorted by F-3C Warhawk fighters. About 20 tons of bombs have been dropped against enemy targets and 10 Brazilian planes shot down during air battles. In return the RSAF reports 7 Pigs lost over enemy territory and another 6 due to landing crashes. Of their fighter escort only three Warhawks failed to return to their bases but sadly all three pilots seem to have died.

April 5
[A] The Units of the Gunboat Support Squadron and the Rio Parana Support Squadron on their way back to Formosa last night clashed with light forces of the RSAN. Both Humaita and Paraguay reported an R-Boat sunk [Note] and three small Army craft apiece while La Plata was damaged by light cannon fire she sank a small river steamer. During the day the force successfully engaged and knocked out a battery of artillery whilst under fighter cover including the General San Martin Squadron which used its A-1 Mapache ground-attack fighters to attack several RSAA dumps.

[Note] R13 and R15 were escorting an army supply convoy when they were surprised by the unreported presence of the Argentinean flotilla. In a fierce battle both units were hit and had to retreat under smoke before getting overwhelmed. On their way back to their basis R15 lost power and had to be taken in tow by her sister. However, progressive flooding forced the crew to abandon her before she finally sunk. Casualties were 9 dead and 12 injured on the RSAN vessels. R13 is rated at 76% after the fight and inactive until repairs.

April 6
[A] The Compania Argentina de Marinanavegacion Rividavia today confirmed all work will cease on the two civilian mail ship carriers and the super-liner La Argentina currently under construction in Atlantis for the foreseeable future. Shares fell shortly after the announcement.

[S] At Encarnation RSAA troops under pressure have begun withdrawing to more solid defensive lines, a ruthless charge by the 7th Zulu Regiment brought them time but sixty soldiers were killed in the charge. UPAF forces in the area are regrouping and forming bands behind the African lines to cut communications and sow confusion among the defences.

April 8
[A] The gunboats Humaita and Paraguay have sailed up the Rio Parana to land two batteries of 75mm guns and much need food and ammunition. They have so far faced less opposition and Argentine commanders believe the Africans are withdrawing across the river.

April 8
[S] Off Montevideo a submarine attacked incoming elements of the 4th Battle Squadron. A spread of three torpedos could barely be evaded by RSAN Hyperion and eye withnesses of her crew reported one fish to pass in just about 2 meters distance. Escorting destroyers Galateia and Hipponoe immediately attacked the subs position. They dropped 32 deapth charges over half an hour and circled for another 30 minutes should the submarine surface. [Note] Without any further trace of the enemy the two ships finally followed 4th Battle Squadron into the harbor.

[Note] Only one submarine failed to return back to her base during those days, Brazilian Golfinho, which just successfully attacked a South African freighter 8 hours earlier. A post-war check of known submarine operations and log files revealed she must have been responsible for the attack as no other subs log reported an attack against a South African capital ship on that day. The cause of her loss remains unclear as her wreck was never found but it is most likely she was sunk by the destroyers counter-attack.

April 9
[A] A six hour barrage by heavy 155mm batteries around Resistencia has devastated part of the town of Corrientes on the Grand Uruguayan side of the Rio Parana and forced many of it inhabitants to flee. RSAA gunfire replied most of the afternoon but two FAA bombing raids this evening seemed to find their targets in the town, smoke and pillars of fire could be clearly seen from Resistencia.

April 10
[S] The "Pony Express" have raided Viedma yet again and attacked a lone freighter in the area but failed to sink it.

[A] UPAF and Argentine forces have begun a major offensive against the Paraguayan capital city Asuncion supported by aircraft and tanks. The four remaining Loyalist Air Force aircraft were destroyed on the ground and by dusk the airfield was in UPAF hands.

April 11
[A] Today there have been a series of aerial fights along the entire border. Four bombing missions by Audax, Mapache and M.B.2 bombers have hit three important RSAA supply dumps and the main railway sidings at the city of Parana on the shores of the Rio Parana. Fighter missions flown were mainly patrols along the border and one F-3C Warhawk has been claimed as damaged. Tonight some six M.B.1 twin-engined bombers have left to bomb strategic targets deep inside Grand Uruguay.

[S] In Montevideo DD Amphitrite, damaged in a gun fight on Mar 17, enters the yards for repairs which will take two month and cost a total of 142ts.

[A] In Asuncion fighting has reached the inner parts of the city. Some 2000 Loyalist troops have surrendered or switched sides in the last 24 hours, Colonel Ernesto, the city garrison commander, also switched allegiance to the Rebel cause and turned the guns of his 300 soldiers in the eastern part of the city on their former allies.

April 12
[A] Colonel Ernesto and the Argentine commander of II Division have accepted the surrender of the city of Asuncion by the remaining loyal Government forces. Some 3400 soldiers are now being disarmed and II Division has already begun moving southwards leaving two Regiments to guard the city and maintain law and order. Elements of the Area Regimenta Paraguay have moved into the former airport and are now resuming attacks on Loyalist supply lines deeper in the eastern half of the country.

April 13
[S] From an air field a few miles outside Asuncion the RSAF rescued Paraguays political leader. In a brave action an AeroDynamics Type 13 Skyliner landed at dawn only to start again 10 minutes later, now with President General Hector Ramon Garioza Ruiz Diaz and his staff aboard. Under cover of twenty F-6B fighters the Type 13 could bring her important freight to an unknown place in Grand Uruguay. Rumours say Garcia, albeit not a political ally to the SAE government, will be given a basis in Grand Uruguay allowing him to keep up faith in his powers among remaining loyal Paraguayan troops which will help bind Argentinean and UPAF forces and release pressure on the RSAA.

April 14
[A] Today the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement concerning the confirmed transit of the evil Paraguayan dictator General Hector Ramon Garioza Ruiz Diaz to Grand Uruguay with the assistance of the RSAF. "It has become clear to the world today that the imperialist South African Empire has been propping up General Diaz's cruel and vicious regime in Paraguay and now have offered him refugee in their territory as he begins to lose the war and his position. Now the freedom fighters of the United Paraguayan Anti-Government Front have secured a vital victory it seems assured that the RSAA must soon be forced to leave Paraguay as the remnants of the shattered Loyalist Paraguayan Army collapses. The SAE will not deny the world of seeing General Diaz standing trial for crimes against humanity and they will not be able to protect forever. Only now we can guess with this implicit show of support that the African aid system was not totally honest and that many of the supposed Argentine arms shipments to rebel groups were, in fact, RSAA shipments to the illegal Paraguayan Government."

[S] In a response to Argentine claims the Foreign Minister in Pretoria made this speech. "In response to Argentina's latest outburst it must be remembered that Argentina openly taking the side of the UPAF revealed their agitation in the past months and years for geopolitical expansion and their cooperation with the madmen in Brazil fanned the spark of conflict in the region. Argentina, and Brazil, are responsible for this war that has begun on the shoulders of the innocent population of Paraguay. Argentina feels free to blame others of crimes against humanity but has, and is, committing them themselves while we speak by waging and encouraging this bloody civil war. This has forced us to openly support our neighbour Paraguay, under the rule of a legitimate government, against Argentinean agitation. Argentine propaganda peddlers pushing new lies about their own people's work trying to blame innocent people! PHP is and always has been a free organization, formed by both Argentinean (!) and SAE privateers, and their only intention is to help people. People that suffer from Argentinean agitation in Paraguay first place! This is why we still stand firmly behind the legitimate government of Paraguay and remain committed to the people of Paraguay."

April 15
[A] Two A-18 bombers attacked a series of trains leaving Cordoba station this morning killing seventeen passengers and destroying some fright cars. Also two I-100A fighters attacked two Martin-Zand RB-5B reconnaissance planes just south of the city. One was shot down by AA fire near the main airbase and the other escaped. Three bombing sorties were flown today and the last sortie resulted in a dogfight over Buenos Aires. One I-99 fighter was lost with a further two damaged (one made it back to friendly soil) and in return one F-6B was shot down by Lieutenant de Aero Roja in his I-100A.

April 17
[S] Devestator bombers have flown one of the wars heaviest attacks. The 2nd Strategical Bomber Wing send 34 of the large airplanes against industrial installations near Asuncion to prevent the UPAF and Argentinean forces in the area to make use of these plants. Over 60 tons of explosives have been dropped in a devastating blow entirely destroying the target factory. Only one JFM B-14A was lost to AA fire while another was badly damaged and written off after landing. Escorting Swollow fighters faced little opposition but claim two victories over enemy planes against one of their own.

[A] The cruiser General San Martin with two Mendoza Class destroyers has returned to Viedma after yet another successful mine laying operation off the River Plate estuary.

[S] From Libreville the 3rd R-Boat Flotilla including tender RSAN Walker Bay will deploy to South America. The ongoing conflict has causes early losses among the fleets light crafts which need to be compensated.

April 18
[A] III Corps in a pre-emptive strike has begun a full scale offensive along the Atlantic coast with the objective of capturing the important port of Mar del Plata. The Corps V and VI Divisions are being supported by the Infantería de Marina Brigada "Bahia Blanca". General Manuela is in overall command of the operation. Last night a five hour barrage lifted and troops moved forward with tank support against SAE border posts just after dawn. Fuerza Aerea Argentina fighters and bombers made numerous sorties to bomb all RSAF airfield and forward RSAA dumps and positions in the area. Ten of our aircraft are missing.

B Company of 502 Regiment (2nd Regiment of V Division) was largely wiped out trying to capture an RSAA strongpoint on the border protecting a little village. The brave men charged the wooden pillbox but with little success and the RSAA. B company suffered 99 casualties and 27 killed.

Further to the south a platoon of A Company supported by a battery of 75mm field guns and a three T-1M31 tanks attacked another RSAA strongpoint with trenches and pillbox protecting a the main coastal road. After a hard battle the strongpoint was thoroughly destroyed by artillery fire but the truck-mounted infantry failed to cross the border and were driven back with heavy casualties (38 plus 11 killed) and two of our tanks were knocked out as they tried to cross the enemy trenches.

[S] In Cape Town a new coastal defense ship is laid down. The ship, so far last in a design process that started with RSAN Nagelring in 1924, will an evolutionary step forward from the earlier Gungnir-design and fill in the last slot for CDS as allowed under the terms of the Cleito Treaty. The most remarkable design feature are the ships 25cm guns - a caliber already used for CDS earlier but then abondoned for a newly designed 21cm gun in 1929. The expected increase in ROF could not be achieved with the lighter gun so the heavier shell is favored again.

April 19
[A] The Commander-in-Chief's yacht/ sloop Capitan de Navio Parker has been commissioned today in Bahia Blanca. After a short trial run she provisioned and headed south to safer waters for her working-up.

[A] The "Pony Express" at around 19:25 tonight made a short five minute bombardment of Bahia Blanca. Shore defences put up a stout defence and three torpedo boats were sent out to attack the enemy but by the time they cleared the harbour the four Arion Class ships had fled eastward. At least one 4in hit was obtained [Note].

[Note] The shell hit RSAN Sleipnir amidships at starboard. Fragments damaged her catapult which no longer can be used making flight operations impossible. The ship is now rated at 98%.

April 20
[A] C Company of 501 Regiment succeeded in getting over the border and at dawn attacked the small settler town of New Blomfontein along the main road to Mar del Plata. Three T-1M31 tanks provided support as well as the Support Company behind them with 81mm mortars. In a stroke of luck our troops started the assault just as an RSAA platoon on trucks was moving up to the front line. These troops were soon driven to cover and their trucks destroyed but a hidden RSAA battery of 75mm howitzers inflicted casualties and knocked out an Argentine tank and the presence of the battery saved the town but C Company succeeded in occupying most of it and but losses on both sides prevented further gains until reinforcements arrived.

April 22
[A] 501 and 502 Regiments have captured New Blomfontein as RSAA troops fell back to another defensive line. Several FAA bomber raids in daylight have suffered heavy losses and fighter cover has been stretched to the limit allowing RSAF F-6B Swollow and bomber patrols to roam over eastern Argentina with little opposition and causing some disruption to rail and road traffic.

[S] After being repaired in a type 0 dock in Buenos Aires R13 returns to her Flotilla [Note]. Some tests have still to be run but she is otherwise battle worthy again.

[Note] Repairs have cost 23ts and are included in the SAEs April report.

April 24
[A] The General San Martin Squadron in a series of dogfights has shot down seven bombers and two fighters (F-3A Buzzards) over Encarnation as 2 and 9 Tabors resume the offensive and push the remnants of the 7th Zulu Regiment further north into a pincer movement by the 1st UPAF Brigade. This latter unit now supported by its own artillery has pushed north to meet a Brazilian spearhead. Along the river pocket I Division continues to attack as reinforcements from II Division become available.

April 25
[A] After the fall of New Blomfontein, A and C Companies of 501 Regiment at dawn attacked the outskirts of the small fishing village of Puerto Villegas Plata. This attack was on the northern flank of the village to cut off its roads and encircle the town for VI Division to reduce later as V Division continues its advance. A battery of 75mm field guns, a battery of Corps 155mm guns and a squadron (six tanks) of light T-1M31 tanks offered support. Army intelligence believes only one RSAA company was in the area supported by a handful of armoured cars of Great War vintage and field defences and naval gunfire (6 inch guns) from the harbour. The battle was in the words of one officer "a damn close run thing," but the entire northern flank had fallen and the road junction was in Argentine hands despite the strongpoint covering the western end of the town remaining intact. This part of the village was bypassed so RSAA forces within are now trapped. Vainly a new defensive line had been formed by RSAA forces but A Company still had enough spare squads left to continue the assault further. However Argentine forces have lost most of their heavy equipment and tanks. Some tank officers are complaining they do not have the right equipment for infantry support, the T-1M31 lacking firepower and thick enough armour for this role, and are suffering heavy casualties as a result.

April 27
[A] Another assault supported by thirty bombers and twenty fighters has attacked the northern flank of Mar del Plata and the temporary defence line has been breached. The local fighter airstrip used by F-3A and Type 14 fighters has been abandoned and around seven aircraft were destroyed on the ground.

[S] Light cruiser RSAN Iringa enters the yards in Durban for her class refit. Yard time will be four month until the ship will return to her unit for trials and active duty.

April 29
[A] The submarine Santa Rosa (P6) has been commissioned today. She is the last of the German P Type submarines planned for the Navy.

[S] De Graaf DB-1C Cutlass dive bombers from the carrier Gripper operating north of Ascension have sunk an Argentinean freighter on the Liberia - Argentina track trying to escape light cruiser RSAN Kimberley. The cruiser was send to investigate the ship after a scout plane on a recce mission reported a suspicious vessel.

[A] In Puerto Villegas Plata elements of V Division have broken through to the central area of the town but were repulsed from the harbour area and four Companies of RSAA troops trapped in the western half of the town have either fled back to rejoin their parent units now pulling back to the eastern side of the town or have surrendered.

A small counter-attack by RSAA troops supported by HCH-5R Hunchback light tanks and BT-5A Bullet fast tanks providing reconnaissance further inland led to a panic among some Argentine infantry units lacking anti-tank guns or tank support and a forward dump was overun and captured slowing V Divisions advance and forcing VI Division to cover the flanks and blunting their spearhead.

Good to see the Mapaches in action. Which reminds me, I have to write that story about the Mexican observers.

Good stuff. Looks like the ground forces have finally caught up with the intensity of the air combat, too.

Excellent update. Can't wait for more.

Very nice. Now both sides seem to have geared up for the land war I feel that things are going to move rather more quickly with a push to the Plate from Argentina and Brazil. The special plane ride for extricating the Paragyuan President was an interesting touch.

Glad you guys like what we´re putting together for South Africa.* Sadly the bigger stories stalled due to lack of time but they will be delivered - sooner or later. So stay tuned. One fine day the big guns will speak out loud!

* Honestly it´s all Hood driving the plot! I merely add a few things now and then....

Just an OOC point for the reader.

The major battles by using the very good PC game series Combat Mission II and Combat Mission III. For those of you who don't own the game I'll elaborate further.

Combat Mission is a real-time turn-based strategy game. The game focuses on the tactical elements right from platoon to Regiment level with all kinds of real-life formations, weapons and tanks (with the possibilty of tank Vs tank combat without infantry). Everything is based on real WW2 weapons with real stats for tanks (armour thickness, armour quality, vision equipment and radio etc). The game is split into turns. You set up each 1 minute of action and then it plays through automatically for 60 secs of action (you can move round the battlefield from birds-eye to gorund level to watch the action unfold) and after the outcome you can change your orders and then play another 1 min turn and so on.

I use Combat Mission 2 and 3 to play these fictional battles in hotseat 2-player mode, SAE often is South Africa in the game and Italy subtistues as Argentina, although skill levels and casualties can be altered before the game. Tanks and vehciles can be approximated (eg T-26 as Arg 6 ton and Pz III or BT5 as SAE tank). The outcome of the battles will determine the overal casualties, losses of equipment and costs.

This game is the most realistic I've ever played and I'm quite good at it with four years of practice. I've have no bias either way and you can't really cheat anyway. You can decide where the battleground is (town, large town, village, rural (CM II is Eastern Front based so good for grassy areas wheras CM III is desert/ Italy based so still useful for varied ground condtions) and the weather and what damage has been casued by previous barrages. Then it creates a unique landscape in varying sizes. You can choose a variety of formations (based on real OOBs) and differing equipment. During the battle machine guns jam, grenades and shells have their trajectories mapped etc. The most important aspect is morale which varies from OK to Shocked, Panic and Routed. Troops then run away or hide somewhere safe out of the players command until they calm down, any troops that leave the map are lost. Likewise in tanks ammo runs out or if a commander is hit in his cupola likely as not the crew panic and stop firing and invaraible get knocked out. Penetration is also calculated and detailed hit information is shown such as "Partial Penetration Upper Side Armour Internal Flaking".

I keep summaries of each battle, whether an attack or defenisve move, troops lost and ground gained, casulaties, morale etc. From that I condense everything to make the news story. This removes the need for copius scripting and makes the land war more interesting since the outcome is not decided beforehand. If anyone wants to see some of the battle reports posted here PM me and I'll let you see them.

* Hoo, your making me blush! Don't be fooled folks its Hoo who provides the polishing of these stories.

Very interesting read.
I too need to work something in about Dutch observers. I also need to have some withdrawal of the Benelux Pennies for Paraguay aid group.

I am pleased to see my Italian Ally fields such well trained and effective fighters, now if only they would stop shooting at my friend.


Interesting note on the Combat Mission game, I will have to check it out.

A couple of questions-
Why did the pony express fail to sink a freighter?

Iis crimes against humanity in a pre-WW II lexicon?

I am a little surprised at the success of the Devastator raid, even with the Norden bombsight accuracy was limited for high altitude, are they flying in fairly low?

Atlantis isn't surprised with Italian involvement, afterall many Argie weapons are of Italian origin. Atlantis is however watching Brazil VERY closely.

OOC: it would be nice if we had a Brazilian player to interact with at such an important time.....

Quoted

I am pleased to see my Italian Ally fields such well trained and effective fighters, now if only they would stop shooting at my friend.

Its the pilots rather than the planes in this case. The cadets of Bergamini's combat air school are the best in Italy, and it really is turning out to be a combat air school. I think a heavier weapons fit then 4x7.7mm might be needed for taking down bombers though...

One of the various writing projects I wound up dropping was the last Tri-Annual Fleet exercises, which were to include extensive strafing of aircraft 'surplused' when the Netherlands cut the reserve wings. That was supposed to underpin the appearance of 20mm motorcannon in some Dutch designs.

Anyhow I figure the Italian participation is OOC knowledge, and would be well within expectations anyhow. Now if Italy follows up sales of airplanes to Japan with volunteers.... THAT might be an issue

Answers to Kirks questions.

The freighter may have got clear by using a rain squall as cover or using the smoke form another wreck to screen its movements and the African skippers don't like hanging around in range of land-based bombers.

I'm not sure if crimes against humaity is a term from those days, in the 1930s no-one cared much about such things. Still in a refined WW maybe such a term would cover Diaz's crimes.

Bump. What about May?

It´s coming. I need to get the BC story ready as this will have some effect on actions in April (story already written so no further delay).

Once both BC story and April actions are posted we´ll proceed. May news are also already written and need just some minor tweaking. June will then follow swiftly, I hope as most of it is also alread written....

April 18

Vice-Admiral Erich van der Graaf looked out over the bridge wing to view the force of strength below him on the flight deck. Ten Foller Fo 122 Mk III "Kingklip" torpedo-bombers, ten Snider Type 24 "Shark" dive-bombers and eight Foller Fo 137 Mk II "Vulture II" fighters were lined up on the deck engines roaring as they warmed up. Vice-Admiral Erich van der Graaf raised his binoculars and swept the horizon, he could clearly see the carrier Anvil preparing for launching with her escort, the cruisers Sante Fe, Ladon and Santana silhouetted by the twilight glow of the setting sun with more cruisers around them. The 4th Battle Squadron( RSAN Ophion, RSAN Hyperion, RSAN St. Denis and RSAN Iringa) were some sixteen miles to the northeast to screen them from any likely Brazilian units nearer the coast some 450km away. Their airborne fighter patrol was due to return to the Hammer within half-an hour. He began to think, this was possibly the most powerful African fleet ever assembled, and what's more the Argentines and the Brazilians were unaware of its position. His bombers had already struck several Argentine ports and were battle-hardened, now he would give the Brazilians a surprise. A full aerial assault on the naval harbour in the city of Rio de Janeiro. He knew the port was full from that afternoon's seaplane mission over the base from the Thjazi and he knew the two battlecruisers that had escaped destruction were also there. All the same he wished he had the carrier Gripper with him but his superior officers had declared such a move risky for fear of losing a carrier and anyway they felt the two carriers offered more than enough strike power. Instead Gripper was operating off Douala searching empty sea. He gave the order, "Bring us into the wind, speed 23kts". Soon after he nodded at his Chief Air Operations Officer Commodore Corteze to begin the launching. Shortly after the loudspeaker roared the stand-by order and the red pennant smartly lowered and a green one replaced it. With a short salute the leading Fo. 137 fighter pilot revved his engine to maximum power, blue flames shot out of the exhaust ports and the chocks were released and he set off down the end of carrier's bows.

The plan was simple enough, two carriers would launch thirty-six torpedo bombers, eighteen dive-bombers escorted by ten fighters to make a surprise attack on the main anchorage of the Brazilian fleet. Its genesis had been the Argentine attack on Buenos Aries, the high command of the RSAN had then decided the best way to attack the Brazilian fleet with a fair chance of victory at little risk would be a similar attack launched from two carriers. Such tactics had been practised since the early 1930s but this was one of the first major carrier-launched attacks in history. The torpedo planes were to attack any large naval warship ignoring smaller vessels like destroyers and the like but tankers were also prime targets. The dive-bombers were to act as diversionary targets laying mines in the bay and bombing the shore installations.

Flt. Lt. Piet van Hossen was the commander of the first wave of torpedo bombers, he was well muffled but the slipstream whistled around his head and the throb of the engine was vibrating his whole body. Ahead he saw the dark outline if the coastline and the Sugar Loaf Mountain and now it was dark the bright lights of the city shone out like a beacon guiding his bombers into the naval base. In the basin were the ships of the Brazilian Navy. He tapped his pilot, Flt. Off. Dieter Breuer, on the shoulder and told him to descend and the attack code word was soon tapped out "Mousetrap". Then as the got closer puffs of AA fire burst ahead of them. The surprise had been lost but van Hossen told his crews to press on. Two Kingklip's to starboard dropped flares which bathed the harbour with an eerie golden light. By now all the lights on shore had gone out and searchlights were probing into the night sky. Van Hossen noted the AA bursts were about 3000 feet too high. As they crossed the harbour at only 200 feet Flt. Off. Dieter Breuer went even lower until they just skimmed the wave tops to line up for his attack. To starboard one Kingklip's port wings were ripped off by an explosion and the hapless wreck crashed into the sea. By now the light AA guns aboard the ships were firing wildly with yellow and red tracer fire zipping all over the harbour hitting others ships and making lines of spray in the water. Van Hossen was crouching low, well aware the only protection between him and the bullets was a thin layer of doped fabric! Breuer shouted "Torpedo gone!" and as he flung the biplane to starboard several machine gun rounds hit the fuselage killing the gunner and the engine coughed and stopped. The impact into the water killed Breuer but van Hossen was thrown clear and later taken prisoner. Another Kingklip was shot down shortly afterwards attacking the battlecruiser Rio de Janeiro, all three crew managing to swim to shore. Breuer's torpedo hit the cruiser Bahia in the foreward magazine and she exploded and quickly sank. Two torpedoes eventually hit the battlecruiser Rio de Janeiro which slowly sank as her pumps failed without steam pressure. The two last Kingklip torpedo bombers aimed for the cruiser Abreu last in the line of heavy cruisers and was hit once right foreward and she settled onto the bottom by dawn. Two Shark dive-bombers bombed the oil tanks which soon were ablaze and another two bombed the seaplane sheds with some success. The final pair of Sharks bombed the submarine tender Ceará tied up at the dockside which was damaged. An oil tanker was also hit by a torpedo aft and she burned for six hours before her crew abandoned ship and she founded.

Half an hour later the second wave of eighteen torpedo bombers, four dive-bombers and eight fighters arrived over Rio de Janeiro. Flt. Lt. Hardi Kumenhauber was the commander of this wave in his personal Snider Type 24 Shark. The blazing fires ashore lit up the whole harbour and he brought the aircraft lower further out to sea to avoid detection. The torpedo bombers had just started their attack runs when the AA fire began once again, most of it flew uselessly over the biplanes and they could manoeuvre to get in among the ships to reach the two battleships in the outer basin in line astern. One hit was observed on the portside of the battlecruiser Rio de Janeiro (which hit above the now submerged main belt causing severe damage) and one hit was observed on the Sao Paulo near B turret. The dive-bombers dropped a few flares and then concentrated on the battlecruiser Recife in the main dry dock. Three 500kg bombs hit the ship and under the assault the blocks broke and she crashed to the bottom of the dry dock causing widespread damage to not only the dock but holing the hull in three places and wrecking the starboard rudder. One bomb had penetrated the deck armour near B turret and another had wrecked the main steering gear. It would be many months before she left the dock. The fighters met no enemy fighters and added their firepower by strafing the shore AA gun emplacements and one made a pass over the Sao Paulo. The slow elderly Kingklip biplanes had fought well and only one was lost in the second wave. For a loss of only four aircraft the Brazilian fleet was now all but crippled and effectively out of the war. There would be a huge party once the aircrews got back to the carriers.

As the second wave returned triumphant without any losses on the bridge of the RSAN Hammer Vice-Admiral Erich van der Graaf and Chief Air Operations Officer Commodore Corteze were having a heated argument. Corteze argued a third wave of bombers should leave to take advantage of the darkness and the confusion ashore to clear up any missed targets and to destroy the dry docks to ensure the Brazilian Navy was crippled. On the other hand van der Graaf felt the mission had already been completed at that the now alerted defences would make a third attack very costly. He did agree to send two WB IX "Sea Dart" seaplanes from Thjazi to determine the damage caused. Only one returned some five hours later but the photographs showed widespread damage. Vice-Admiral Erich van der Graaf had his way and the Hammer detached with the 9th Scout Squadron to return to the Southern Atlantic and the Anvil and the 6th Scout Squadron went further east into the Atlantic away from any potential air or submarine attack.

Brazilian losses were later determined to be;
Battlecruiser Rio de Janeiro sunk (rated 35%)
Battlecruiser Recife damaged (rated 58%)
Battleship Minas Gerais damaged (rated 70%)
Cruiser Bahia sunk (rated 0%)
Cruiser Abreu sunk by flooding (rated 30%)
Battleship Sao Paulo one torpedo hit (rated 80%)
Cruiser Amazonas (rated 96%)
Destroyer Piauhy (rated 95%)
Destroyer Sergipe (rated 94%)
Civilian tanker Petronas 5,650grt sunk

Hmmmm. Taranto 5 years early. Definitely going to want to improve the AA and torpedo defences at Kiel, Wilhelmshaven, Cuxhaven, etc. Heavy enough torpedo nets to actually WORK will be a pain to deal with, but by the look of it a necessary evil.

Also looks like the Poles may have a likely buyer for their BC, if they still want to sell......

Looks like the Brazilian BC's will be out for the remainder of the war.

Now that is what I'm talking about!

The good thing looks like those BCs might be salvageable, just not in any time period to actually return to the war...

What about casualties? Planes and pilots lost, and Brazilian sailors killed?

Looks like the Brazilians got the war they were looking for.

The question is, what's happening in the land war??? Frankly, the RSAN ought to own the waves, considering, the Brazillians and Argentines were not in the same league. But on land.....