New Scen - Return to Wake

[Andy Mac]

OK another draft of a new scenario

Very small one try it and see how you get on either side is playable....

[Andy Mac]

ps same drill feedback wlcome

[ADB123]

Andy -

For those of us who don't usually mod or test mods, can you give instructions as to where the files in your zip directory should go?

Thanks -

[rjopel]

They go in the SCEN folder.

[ADB123]

ORIGINAL: rjopel

They go in the SCEN folder.

Great - thanks!

[JeffroK]

Gday Andy,

Ran this through to 6 Feb 42. as Allies. (I'll try to hid some detail to keep up the suspense)

I beefed up the original Allied CV TF's with a few Ca/CL & DD's.

My plan was to land 8th Marines, 1st Marine Raiders, 2ns Marine Engineers, 4th & 5th Marine Defense Bns & 34th Combat Engineers, approx 15,000 men. (Never use a hammer if a 20lb sledgehammer is available!)

The TF's were plotted to move north of Midway, across to a point NW of Wake and then down to Wake.

I got through the IJN SS pickets around French Frigate/Laysan without any attacks. All proceeded quietly until I was approx 300 miles NW of Wake when I was attacked by IJN Carrier aircraft (At no time did I see any IJN TF's)  My F4F-3 & F2 Buffs managed to knock down a good % of the attackers with only a torp into Portland 18sys/20flot and a bomb on Enterprise which must have boubced off the timber flight deck.

Next day saw another IJN strike from the opposite direction!  I thought about aborting but it also got beaten off.

My small bombardment TF (1 CA & 2 CL) scared the Wake garrison on D-1 and on DDay my CV DB & TB gave them another pasting. (I held them back on Naval attack, just in case, but the coast seemed clear)

My amphib force took 2 days to clear the atoll, I took a hit because my force was only partially prepped but I'm sure Mr Deveraux didnt want to wait another 2 mths.

Nothing much happened after this, daily Nell raids started after 1/2/42 and I spent most of my time evacuating 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Engineers & 34th Combat Engineers.

I feel this scenario could be a great learning tool for newbies. Low density but involves the organising of various TF's, setting up search patterns and reloading a disembarked force.

VPs   Allies 363   IJN 57

Air losses
Kate     33
Val       19
Nell      16   mostly Ops losses
F2 Buff 16
PBY5     14  mostly Ops losses
F4F-3    13
Zeke     10
Seagull    2
PBY4       2
SBD-1      1

Of 116 total losses, 33 wee Ops losses incurred in the long range naval searches by both sides.

Andy, I hope the AI has a lot of variety for force size and direction of attack, I was surprised when the IJN attack came in.

Maybe an AI tweak, after attacking me and retreating to Roi/Namur the IJN CV built up their aircraft numbers but just sat there and didnt attempt a second attack on the USN which was depleting its Aircraft numbers and AA ammo.

Good fun scenario.

[Andy Mac]

Thanks Jeff I will have a play to try and get some variety into the scenario

[berto]

For all of your "New Scen" scenario threads (this one for Wake, the one for Burma, and any future ones), would it be possible for you to edit the very first message in each thread, updating the link to the latest and greatest scenario version?

As the threads grow in length, it's not always easy wading through potentially dozens of messages to find the latest updates. Linking to the latest update in the original message makes it a no-brainer.

Whatever, thanks as always for the new scenario development! [&o]

[packerpete]

Played as allies to 3 Feb? The Japanese ships sat in Namor-Roi the whole time while I sat 1 hex to the west of Wake. The Nell's came to visit a couple of times until I shot them all down. The Betty's did not seem to do anything either.

More short scenarios like this one, are very appreciated by people like me that need a couple short training scenarios to get in the swing of things. Thanks for all your and effort.

Question. Was the HMS Warspite really in Pearl Harbor during this time frame and I believe the Enterprise group was acting a distant backstop for this operation but is not included?? Just wondering and thanks again.

[Andy Mac]

k i will have a play and redo the Ai

[packerpete]

I played it again for grins. What happened is the Americans showed up after the Japanese CV task force left wake and was 1 day out of Namar-Roi and it never left port after that. The weather was very bad over my taskforces and I was shooting down search planes left and right. So maybe it was a DL issue.

[Andy Mac]

v2 now in first post with revised AI

[Andy Mac]

Did anyone paly this one v the V2 AI - feedback appreciated

[comsolut]

First - thanks for doing these small scenarios. Looking forward to the 42 start scenario with AI.

Will try this one (Wake) over the weekend and try to give feedback.

[comsolut]

Nice little scenario. Good chance to execute a small amphibious operation supported by Carrier Task Forces. Some resupply (Midway, Johnston Is), some ASW, some transfer of squadrons, a few SS patrols around Wake Is. All fun and good experience for players like me who shy away from the grand campaign.

Loaded up the 8th Marine Reg and 1st Marine Raider Batt. Landed at Wake Is (The Radio broadcast by Auburn Ann was worth the whole price of admission). Carrier DB's softenned up the ground forces there and the Marines had no trouble recapturing the Island. Immediately sent an AV to the Island and transferred VP 24 with PBY-5 Catalinas for patrol coverage of the neighboring ocean.

Lost the AG Spica to a Japanese I Boat on the return trip to Pearl Harbor.

Nells bombed Wake Is. almost daily so loaded up the 251 Cst AA Regt and the 119 USAAF Base Force to bring Wake Is some AA defense and allow the basing of some F2A-3 Buffalos.

Landed the reinforcements with some harrasement by Nells but unescorted they fell easy prey to the Fighter Jocks. Transferred VMF-221 comprised of Buffalos to Wake Island, via Midway, for air defense.

End of scenario: Allies 183 Japanese 39 Decisive Allied Victory (All told 58 Nells shot down)

I noticed some Japanes CV's at the port but they never sortied.

Enjoyed!!!!

[Halsey]

bump...

[Andy Mac]

has anyone else not seen the AI use its carriers as Japan in this scen ?

[oldman45]

I ran it today. My forces ran into them near wake. They got the drop but I was lucky between bad weather and lucky rolls nothing hit. Over the next two days we had a running fight and finally I got lucky and put a few bombs and a torp into each of their carriers. The AI retired and I took the island back.

[Andy Mac]

ok good thanks so they are not always passive

[JeffroK]

Do you need to add fuel at Roi-Namur??
My mini KB was set to go to R-N and there is no fuel.