The toughest xAK in the Japanese merchant fleet

[Chryse]

50 shell hits to sink an xAK. Received every possible damage message possible I think includng 3 internal explosions, explosion in super structure, uperworks carried away, severe engine damage, sever damage to fire control parties, etc. Thing would just not sink. Thank goodness it finally did.Was expecting at any moment to see task forces disengage and have the thing sail away.


Day Time Surface Combat, near Canton Island at 153,143, Range 20,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
PB Hirotama Maru, Shell hits 11, and is sunk
xAK Nikki Maru, Shell hits 50, and is sunk

Allied Ships
CA Indianapolis
CL Detroit
DD Dunlap
DD Fanning
DD Cummings

Japanese ground losses:
1838 casualties reported
Squads: 39 destroyed, 75 disabled
Non Combat: 40 destroyed, 53 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 16 (8 destroyed, 8 disabled)



Maximum visibility in Overcast Conditions: 20,000 yards
Range closes to 20,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 20,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 20,000 yards
CA Indianapolis engages PB Hirotama Maru at 20,000 yards
Range closes to 17,000 yards
CL Detroit engages PB Hirotama Maru at 17,000 yards
DD Fanning engages PB Hirotama Maru at 17,000 yards
DD Dunlap engages PB Hirotama Maru at 17,000 yards
Range closes to 15,000 yards
CA Indianapolis engages PB Hirotama Maru at 15,000 yards
CL Detroit engages PB Hirotama Maru at 15,000 yards
DD Cummings engages PB Hirotama Maru at 15,000 yards
DD Dunlap engages PB Hirotama Maru at 15,000 yards
Range closes to 13,000 yards
PB Hirotama Maru sunk by CA Indianapolis at 13,000 yards
DD Cummings engages xAK Nikki Maru at 13,000 yards
Range closes to 10,000 yards
CA Indianapolis engages xAK Nikki Maru at 10,000 yards
CL Detroit engages xAK Nikki Maru at 10,000 yards
DD Fanning engages xAK Nikki Maru at 10,000 yards
Range closes to 7,000 yards
CA Indianapolis engages xAK Nikki Maru at 7,000 yards
DD Cummings engages xAK Nikki Maru at 7,000 yards
DD Fanning engages xAK Nikki Maru at 7,000 yards
DD Dunlap engages xAK Nikki Maru at 7,000 yards
Range increases to 8,000 yards
DD Cummings engages xAK Nikki Maru at 8,000 yards
DD Cummings engages xAK Nikki Maru at 8,000 yards
DD Dunlap engages xAK Nikki Maru at 8,000 yards
Range increases to 9,000 yards
CA Indianapolis engages xAK Nikki Maru at 9,000 yards
CL Detroit engages xAK Nikki Maru at 9,000 yards
CL Detroit engages xAK Nikki Maru at 9,000 yards
DD Fanning engages xAK Nikki Maru at 9,000 yards
DD Dunlap engages xAK Nikki Maru at 9,000 yards
Range increases to 10,000 yards
DD Fanning engages xAK Nikki Maru at 10,000 yards
CL Detroit engages xAK Nikki Maru at 10,000 yards
DD Cummings engages xAK Nikki Maru at 10,000 yards
Range closes to 7,000 yards
CA Indianapolis engages xAK Nikki Maru at 7,000 yards
DD Cummings engages xAK Nikki Maru at 7,000 yards
DD Fanning engages xAK Nikki Maru at 7,000 yards
Range closes to 6,000 yards
CA Indianapolis engages xAK Nikki Maru at 6,000 yards
DD Cummings engages xAK Nikki Maru at 6,000 yards
DD Fanning engages xAK Nikki Maru at 6,000 yards
xAK Nikki Maru sunk by CA Indianapolis at 6,000 yards
Combat ends with last Japanese ship sunk...

[crsutton]

Makes sense. Lots of times shells were poured into a ship long after it was in sinking condition. Thing is, flotation is the key and a ship could take a lot of damage but still maintain flotation integrety for quiet a while. Sometimes ships were abandoned and floated about for days. Somtimes they were recrewed and saved days later. So a lot of redundant shells could have been pounded into a ship that was already fatally damaged. Happened all the time.

[HMS Resolution]

A side question. When a ship is sunk, what happens to the squads aboard it listed as disabled?

[Nikademus]

If there are no other transports in the TF that can "rescue survivors", then the entire loaded LCU is lost.

I had that reinforced in a recent AI game trying to send in two Indian brigades to Rangoon in 1941. The entire convoy was sunk by G3M's and those two useful brigades went bye bye. that hurt. Who says the AI can't play a mean game?

[Speedysteve]

Yes. But you're a dumbass

[Mistmatz]

Thats exactely why every embarked LCU is at least distributed among two different TF's in my games.