[Molon Labe]

28 January 1943

• The minesweeper Vireo, acting as an ASW escort for a cargo ship delivering supplies to Wake, ironically hit a mine at Wake and sank. There was a second AM-AK pair approaching Wake; I've detached the AM to sweep the rest of the mines, it will escort both AKs back to Pearl after wake is clear. I'm also dispatching 4 yard minesweepers from the west coast to split between Midway and Wake for permanent local minesweeping assignments.
• We shot down 2 Oscars over Lashio
• My retreating base forces finally made the river crossing out of Uttaradit, where they had been pinned down by artillery and air raids for weeks it seems. An enemy marine unit was waiting from them on the other side, but we so heavily outnumbered them that we defeated them despite the supply shortage.
• Just north of that, our 6th Indian Brigade is deuling the 112th Infantry Regiment (both are at equal strength, about 2000 troops), which is also trying to block the retreating base forces. It's a stalemate for now, I'm hoping troops that we've turned around will make the difference.

29 January 1943

• USS Hake sent in a contact report on a major troop transport convoy at the north end of the Strait of Malacca. It was driven off by an APD, but got back ahead of the convoy and re-engaged, sinking a cargo ship. No troop casualties were reported, so it seems likely this convoy is intended to pick up excess troops from Burma. My best guess, this is the move against Sri Lanka we've been anticipating.
• No air-to-air losses for either side today

30 January 1943

• Looks like we cleared the minefield at Wake already
• The enemy attempted another night attack at Lashio, the night fighters splashed a Sally and a Helen.
• Lashio was a major target during the day, but mostly by inexperienced Zeroes. We shot down 12 Zeroes with no losses. They got plenty of bombers through, though. As did we.
• The enemy land attack on Lashio reduced our fortifications from level 4 to 3. Not a good sign. Supplies are becoming a problem too, as pretty much everything they have is getting airlifted from India, and it's too dangerous to have the transports fly directly there now.
• Enemy bombing raids on our retreat through the mountains failed to anticipate the resupply of several units, which cost them 7 medium bombers to flak and dozens more damaged.
• Despite reinforcements arriving and now outnumbering the enemy 18,000 to 2,000, we failed to dislodge the 112th Regiment from its blocking position. Our supply levels substantially reduced the combat ability of many of our units. Casualties 274 to 168 in our favor.
• A P-38 sweep over Guadalcanal met significant resistance, getting 2 Nicks and a Tojo while losing 1 aircraft, and many more damaged. It's not clear to me why he's suddenly surging fighters here after giving me probably a week of free reign to bomb him here and Rabaul.
• At Cape Town, South Africa, the conversion of the AMC Manoora into a Landing Ship (Infantry) has completed, as haVE repairs of HMS Revenge. It will be about a week before we have a couple destroyers available to escort these to the frontlines. (Revenge was torpedoed by a submarine near Columbo 1 July 1942.0