Tanaka the Mighty

[Drongo]

How's this for being on a roll? (includes 3 surprise strikes).

Sent a Jap bombardment force to hit Lunga. What does Tanaka do? Forgets all about the mission and decides to take on every allied TF in sight.

Every dog has his day but why couldn't this have happened in a PBEM rather than a test game.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 11/26/42

Weather: Rain

Night Time Surface Combat, near Lunga at 38,40

Japanese Ships
CA Tone, Shell hits 1
CA Takao, Shell hits 7
CA Atago, Shell hits 1
CA Suzuya, Shell hits 5
CA Kumano, Shell hits 2
CL Sendai, Shell hits 1
CL Jintsu
CL Nagara
CL Natori
CL Kuma, Shell hits 1
DD Takanami
DD Hayanami
DD Hatsukaze
DD Yukikaze
DD Hayashio
DD Maikaze
DD Shiranui

Allied Ships
CA Chicago, Shell hits 17, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
CA Minneapolis, Shell hits 19, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Farenholt, Shell hits 27, and is sunk
DD Woodworth, Shell hits 5, on fire
DD Stockton
DD Hughes
DD Blue, Shell hits 12, and is sunk
DD Patterson, Shell hits 8, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Sterett, Shell hits 9, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Maury, Shell hits 2
DD Tucker
DD Monaghan


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Night Time Surface Combat, near Lunga at 38,40

Japanese Ships
CA Tone
CA Takao
CA Atago
CA Suzuya, Shell hits 7
CA Kumano, Shell hits 2
CL Sendai, Shell hits 1
CL Jintsu
CL Nagara
CL Natori
CL Kuma
DD Takanami
DD Hayanami
DD Hatsukaze
DD Yukikaze
DD Hayashio
DD Maikaze
DD Shiranui

Allied Ships
CA Portland, Shell hits 12, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
CA Northampton, Shell hits 5, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Wilkes, Shell hits 38, and is sunk
DD Gwin, Shell hits 30, and is sunk
DD Grayson, Shell hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
DD Buchanan, Shell hits 19, on fire, heavy damage
DD Case, Shell hits 20, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Conyngham, Shell hits 16, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Cushing, Shell hits 26, and is sunk


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Night Time Surface Combat, near Lunga at 38,40

Japanese Ships
CA Tone
CA Takao
CA Atago
CA Suzuya
CA Kumano, Shell hits 5
CL Sendai, Shell hits 3
CL Jintsu
CL Nagara
CL Natori
CL Kuma
DD Takanami
DD Hayanami
DD Hatsukaze
DD Yukikaze
DD Hayashio
DD Maikaze
DD Shiranui

Allied Ships
DD Woodworth, Shell hits 20, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Stockton, Shell hits 21, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Hughes, Shell hits 22, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Sterett, and is sunk
DD Maury, Shell hits 13, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Tucker, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Monaghan, Shell hits 3


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Night Time Surface Combat, near Lunga at 38,40

Japanese Ships
CA Tone
CA Takao
CA Atago
CA Suzuya
CA Kumano
CL Sendai, Shell hits 1
CL Jintsu
CL Nagara, Shell hits 1
CL Natori
CL Kuma
DD Takanami
DD Hayanami
DD Hatsukaze
DD Yukikaze, Shell hits 1
DD Hayashio
DD Maikaze
DD Shiranui

Allied Ships
DD Woodworth, and is sunk
DD Stockton, and is sunk
DD Hughes, and is sunk
DD Maury, and is sunk
DD Tucker, Shell hits 32, on fire, heavy damage
DD Monaghan, Shell hits 15, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk


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Night Time Surface Combat, near Lunga at 38,40

Japanese Ships
CA Tone
CA Takao
CA Atago
CA Suzuya, Shell hits 3
CA Kumano
CL Sendai
CL Jintsu
CL Nagara, Shell hits 4, on fire
CL Natori
CL Kuma
DD Takanami
DD Hayanami
DD Hatsukaze, Shell hits 2
DD Yukikaze, Shell hits 1
DD Hayashio
DD Maikaze
DD Shiranui

Allied Ships
CA Chester, Shell hits 4, heavy damage
CA Quincy, Shell hits 9, on fire
CL Phoenix, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Stack, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Gridley, Shell hits 5, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Mahan
DD Drayton, Shell hits 1, heavy damage
DD MacDonough

[CapAndGown]

My God Man! I would have never thought such lop sided results were possible with this engine. I take back every bad thing I have ever said. Now if I could only get these results myself.

[Drongo]

Recipe for naval above success.

a) Place only IJN ships with night exp 80+ in a TF.
b) Ensure all CA's are the ones with 120+ belt armour.
c) Add as many IJN CLs as available (5).
d) Add as many radar equipped ships as you can (3).
e) Add Mr Tanaka (unfortunately, no one else will do).

The first allied TF had one of its CAs and 3 of its DDs already damaged from air attacks. Due to their damage (speed slown and on fire), the CA and 2 DDs were sent to the bottom when the Japs launched the surprise long lance strike. The high quality Jap force quickly knocked out the remaining allied CA in the opening round of regular combat. The allied DDs mainly engaged targets that their guns couldn't penetrate while missing with their torps (at 2000 yds ).

The second allied TF also started with an air strike damaged CA, as were at least half its DDs. The surprise long lance strike took out the damaged CA, a damaged DD and also hit the undamaged CA. The following regular combat rounds had the japs firing first and with excellent accuracy, quickly putting the remaining CA on the bottom. The allied DDs did what they did in the first battle (and were promptly massacred).

The third allied TF were some DDs remaining from a TF whose CAs had been sunk by air attack. One had prior damage, the rest were intact. All engaged the IJN cruisers and were massacred over 2 battles.

The last allied TF had all its ships intact (until the surprise long lance attack which put a torp into the Phoenix and sunk a DD). This LL strike surprised even me as I thought the japs had used up all their torps in the previous 4 battles. This battle was fought and won entirely by Tanaka + night exp.

Most, if not all, of the allied TFs probably had 3rd rate TF commanders (since they were scratch forces gathered together by the AI). Lee would have been present for the battle had his BB not been torped by a sub the day before (forcing his TF to retire).

I also think a lot of the "non-damaged" allied ships were carrying heavy sys damage (10+) from the way the AI runs it's ships ragged. Being 3-5 knots down on speed in combat may have made them slightly easier to hit.

Despite the presence of crap allied commanders and damaged ships, luck still played an amazingly large part in the lack of damage taken by the japs.

Overall, if you can recreate these circumstances in a PBEM, you've got it made. :p