Mandrake-san vs Fabertong: Dueling pistols at 250nm

[Cap Mandrake]

Yes second game will on...more to come

Lady Lex's luck finally runs out.

[Cap Mandrake]

I am certain Yorktown is sunk but it doesnt show. The attack on PM is in doubt to to losses among the transports.

[Cap Mandrake]

****************May 11/12***************

The tranpsorts arrive at PM at the extreme end of the 5-11 and begin unloading on the 12th. A Betty raid on PM puts about 40% damage on the runway and 14 P-40's are shot down in a Zero sweep from Lae. Float fighters from Lae and some Zero survivors from the carrier battle flying out of Finschafen (I flew in some air support there) fly LRCAP over the landing group. A few brave A-20's attack the transports from PM but are shot down by the zeroes.

Minneapolis and 2 DD show up off PM on the morning of the 12th and are intercepted by the 4 CA's on guard duty. The IJN has almost no torps after the fight with the oilers. Even so, the weight of gunfire is enough and Minneapolis is sunk.

The troops get ashore in very good order but have only 100 assault points. Oh well. I will try a shock attack either on the 13th or 14th.

There now appears a good prospect that Fabertong wont take PM in the other game.

[Cap Mandrake]

Here are the crucial days of the mirror game so far.

Admiral Faber-san has grouped the transports, the CV's, Shoho and probably the bombardment group into an Imperial Death Star. They appear to have shed the 10Kt AK's as they make good progress.

They appear on track to clear the Jomard Passage on the 7th. There is no hope of LBA from PM hitting anything with the carrier CAP, so I move in only one B-25 Sqdrn and set them to search. The USN carriers move near Cairns, declining battle in the hope of poor weather on the 8th. Meanwhile, the aviation support troops at PM are augmented with troops from Townsville brought in by PBY. A sqadron of P-40's moves to PM and is set on 100% CAP. They chew up a Zero squadron from Rabaul very well but dont down any bombers when Betties and Nells come down from Rabaul. The runway stands at 25% damage.

The weather will be good for the 8th. It has to be the day. The carrier duel has to be before the troopships start unloading. I toyed with the idea of leaving the TBD's behind for possible use at PM later and trying to get a fight at about 6 hexes from the likely Deathstar position. This would reduce the risk of Nells and Betties as it would be beyond Zero escort range from Rabaul. It would also reduce the risk of surface combat between the Jap cruisers and the Air Combat TF's. In the end, I decided to leave the TBD's aboard and place the carriers 3 hexes SW of PM. Although the risk of Netties was higher, I could be assured the TBD's would be in the fight. And, in the likely event of the loss of one or both USN carriers, the homeless planes could recover to PM. I sent a second P-40 squadron to PM and set them to LRCAP over the carriers. I sent some A-20's to PM and set them and the B-25's to naval attack with no P-40 escort.

It was a wild fight.[;)]

[Cap Mandrake]

..

[Cap Mandrake]

..

[Cap Mandrake]

..

[Cap Mandrake]

..

[Cap Mandrake]

..

[Cap Mandrake]

There are a few inefective A-20 and B-25 raids on the transports then this.

[Cap Mandrake]

Lexington has 43% flooding and level 6 fires. She can make 15 Kts. The place is crawling with subs and there is the Nell threat too.

The good news is there are 46 operational SBD's, 12 TBD's (no torps) and 16 F4F's at Port Moresby. There are only 78 ground support points...but heh.

A surface group of 6 CA, Hobart and 3 DD's will stay behind at Port Moresby in case Admiral Febar-san tries to get his troops ashore. Something is going to get sunk but it won't jsut be on our side.

One Jap carrier is sunk for sure and there will be no CAP except LRCAP from Lae perhaps. The SBD's should pounce.

[Cap Mandrake]

The is still the me as Allies mirror game. Very good turn for the Allies. The Netties score no hits and the cruisers which are tasked to patrol East toward Milne Bay before dawn and then return toward PM get in among the transports.

No CV's are attacked. They may be all sunk.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR May 09, 42
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Port Moresby at 97,133, Range 6,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CM Tsugaru, Shell hits 14, heavy fires, heavy damage
DMS W.20, Shell hits 3, on fire
AMc Fumi Maru #2
xAKL Hagoromo Maru
xAKL Noshiro Maru #2
xAK Canberra Maru
xAK Kansai Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
xAK Kagu Maru
xAK Asakaze Maru, Shell hits 2
xAK Tatumiya Maru, Shell hits 1, on fire
xAK Kamikaze Maru
xAK Sinsei Maru
xAK Chicago Maru
xAK Ikushima Maru, Shell hits 3, on fire
xAK Kasuga Maru #2, Shell hits 2, on fire
xAK Aso Maru, Shell hits 2, on fire

Allied Ships
CA Portland
CA Chester
CA New Orleans
CA Astoria
CA Minneapolis, Shell hits 1
CA Australia
CL Hobart
DD Morris
DD Phelps
DD Whipple

Japanese ground losses:
410 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 16 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 17 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Port Moresby at 98,133, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CL Yubari, Shell hits 13, and is sunk
DD Mutsuki, Shell hits 9, and is sunk
DD Yayoi, Shell hits 1
E Oite, Shell hits 1
E Asanagi, Shell hits 5, and is sunk

Allied Ships
CA Portland, Shell hits 2
CA Chester, Shell hits 1
CA New Orleans, Shell hits 2
CA Astoria
CA Minneapolis, Shell hits 1
CA Australia
CL Hobart
DD Morris
DD Phelps, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Whipple




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submarine attack near Milne Bay at 99,133

Japanese Ships
CA Aoba, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS S-38



CA Aoba is sighted by SS S-38
SS S-38 launches 4 torpedoes at CA Aoba


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Milne Bay at 101,134

Japanese Ships
CA Aoba, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS Greenling



CA Aoba is sighted by SS Greenling
SS Greenling launches 4 torpedoes at CA Aoba


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Port Moresby at 98,133

Japanese Ships
SS I-28

Allied Ships
DD Whipple, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
CA Chester
CA Portland
CL Hobart
DD Morris



SS I-28 launches 6 torpedoes at DD Whipple
DD Morris fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Morris fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Morris attacking submerged sub ....
DD Morris fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Morris fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 98,130

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid spotted at 42 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 22 minutes


Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 4
F4F-3 Wildcat x 8
TBD-1 Devastator x 2


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
DD Shiratsuyu



Aircraft Attacking:
2 x TBD-1 Devastator bombing from 5000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 500 lb SAP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 99,135

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 7



Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 4
TBD-1 Devastator x 7


No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
TBD-1 Devastator: 3 destroyed, 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
xAK Canberra Maru

Japanese ground losses:
62 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled



Aircraft Attacking:
3 x TBD-1 Devastator bombing from 5000 feet *
Naval Attack: 2 x 500 lb SAP Bomb

CAP engaged:
Tainan Ku S-1 with A6M2 Zero (7 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
7 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 20000
Raid is overhead



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 101,135

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 27 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
no flights


Allied aircraft
SBD-3 Dauntless x 23


Japanese aircraft losses
No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
CA Kako, Bomb hits 9, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Aoba, Bomb hits 5, and is sunk



Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CA Kako
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CA Aoba


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Cooktown at 95,135

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 48 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 19 minutes


Allied aircraft
SBD-3 Dauntless x 2


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
DD Ushio, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires



Aircraft Attacking:
2 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 98,135

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 24 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes


Allied aircraft
SBD-3 Dauntless x 2


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
xAK Kansai Maru, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage

Japanese ground losses:
270 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 5 destroyed, 11 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled



Aircraft Attacking:
2 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb GP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 99,134

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 31 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 16
G3M2 Nell x 26



Japanese aircraft losses
G3M2 Nell: 26 damaged

Allied Ships
CA Portland
CA Chester
CA Minneapolis
CA Astoria
CA New Orleans
CL Hobart



Aircraft Attacking:
26 x G3M2 Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 98,130

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid spotted at 13 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes


Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 4
F4F-3 Wildcat x 2
SBD-3 Dauntless x 2


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
CA Haguro



Aircraft Attacking:
2 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Cooktown at 95,135

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 48 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 19 minutes


Allied aircraft
SBD-3 Dauntless x 9


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
DD Akebono, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
DD Ushio, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk



Aircraft Attacking:
5 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb

Heavy smoke from fires obscuring DD Akebono
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring DD Ushio


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 102,132

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 28 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes


Allied aircraft
SBD-3 Dauntless x 9


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
DD Yayoi



Aircraft Attacking:
8 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
1 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 98,130

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes


Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 3
F4F-3 Wildcat x 6
TBD-1 Devastator x 2


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
CA Haguro, Bomb hits 1



Aircraft Attacking:
2 x TBD-1 Devastator bombing from 5000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 500 lb SAP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 99,135

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 13 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 7



Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 2
SBD-3 Dauntless x 13


No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
SBD-3 Dauntless: 3 destroyed, 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
xAK Ikushima Maru, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Canberra Maru, Bomb hits 1
xAK Kamikaze Maru, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage

Japanese ground losses:
544 casualties reported
Squads: 16 destroyed, 8 disabled
Non Combat: 12 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 2 (2 destroyed, 0 disabled)



Aircraft Attacking:
7 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb

CAP engaged:
Tainan Ku S-1 with A6M2 Zero (7 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
7 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 20000
Raid is overhead

Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAK Ikushima Maru


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 102,132

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 38 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes


Allied aircraft
SBD-3 Dauntless x 9


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
DD Yayoi



Aircraft Attacking:
8 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
1 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Cooktown at 95,135

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 10 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes


Allied aircraft
SBD-3 Dauntless x 9


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
DD Akebono, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk



Aircraft Attacking:
4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
1 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb

Heavy smoke from fires obscuring DD Akebono


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 98,135

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 24 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes


Allied aircraft
SBD-3 Dauntless x 9


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
xAK Kasuga Maru #2, Bomb hits 9, and is sunk

Japanese ground losses:
1166 casualties reported
Squads: 22 destroyed, 43 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 24 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 52 (22 destroyed, 30 disabled)



Aircraft Attacking:
8 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
1 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb

Heavy smoke from fires obscuring xAK Kasuga Maru #2


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 98,130

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes


Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 8
F4F-3 Wildcat x 2
SBD-3 Dauntless x 8


No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
CA Haguro, Bomb hits 4, on fire
DD Yugure
DD Shiratsuyu



Aircraft Attacking:
2 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
2 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
2 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
2 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 99,134

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 29 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 15
G3M2 Nell x 2



Japanese aircraft losses
G3M2 Nell: 1 damaged

Allied Ships
CA Minneapolis



Aircraft Attacking:
2 x G3M2 Nell launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo

[Cap Mandrake]

From the Mirror Game again:

Lexington lives with 43% flotation damage. The fires are out.

[Cap Mandrake]

...

[Cap Mandrake]

My guess is he will try to get the transports out around Rossel Is. instead of through the Jomard. I think I will try to get Lexington behing the reef in the shallow water. The good news, of course, is I might still win even if I dont capture PM in the other game.

[Cap Mandrake]

************End Game, Mirror Game (me as Allies)***********

The USN cruisers made another night sweep toward his retreating transports, which headed East for Rossel and escaped further damage. Lexington hugged the coral reef to Cooktown and thence safely to Cairns. Several more CA and CL's were sunk by SBD's from PM while evacuating the battle zone or trying to catch Lexington.

The result was a decisive Allied Victory by a 1000+ pt margin (I forget the exact amount)

[Cap Mandrake]

**************End Game, me as Japan************

144th and friends bombarded on the 12th, shock attacked on the 13th (achieving a 2:1 attack and redicing forts to 0), but on the 14th, with a second shock attack, the odds were only 1:2 and PM held.

There were no other shipping losses escpet USN Perkins which was sunk by Betties as she pursued the Jap transports toward Shortlands.

Embarked aboard an undamaged APD and the CM and with Kinugasa and a 2nd CA in escort, the SNLF subunit from Tulagi landed at Efate on the 13th and captured the base ont he 14th. The damaged APD and a fast AK embarked a part of the engineer unit from Shortlands (with her security infantry), landed at Luganville ont he 13th and captured the base on the 14th.


The final score was a marginal Allied victory with a 400 pt margin.


In retrospect, I should have pursued my orginal plan for Noumea...but...there in no do-over. [:D]


Also of interest is the fact that Lexington survived the intitial carrier battle in both games. I am thinking the separate carrier TF model is superior.