Guadalcanal and The Aleutian Islands: A prelude (Japanese and Allied Sides)

[SierraJuliet]

Excellent point and one I'll file away for future reference. Not sure if Todd considered a raid on Rabaul as his B-17 attention was fairly exclusively centred on Lae. In retrospect there is great risk in basing forward like this..... More often than not there was a fighter unit based at Rabaul as I was moving fighter units in and out of Lae to keep them fresh. We are some 50 turns into the scenario so I'm writing from my experience which turned out to be a good one.

As for my fleet tactics. Once I get my carrier TF out of harbour the first CV engagement won't be far off. I recall leaving them at Truk for a day or two before giving them their orders. My plan was to set them up to the north east of Guadalcanal and see if they could manufacture an attack which would do the most harm to the USN and the least damage to the IJN. Isn't that what all Japan players strive to achieve. [:)]. I like to get surface ships amongst the merchants too.... Dream result of course if I can do that.

[SierraJuliet]

18 August 1942

SS I-123 launches torpedoes at APD Manley near Lunga and missed. Then she sneaks off and eludes the attention of the escort.

Sweep over Port Moresby. Lose a Zero for no other reported result although it was 3 v 12 defenders.

Bombers return over Kokoda in the afternoon. Then B-17s turn up over Buna.

17th Army arrives at Truk. I intend getting them down to Tassafaronga to provide support either in defence or should things go well an eventual assault upon Lunga and Tulagi. I am playing with a desire to be attacking down there rather than defending. It will take some time to get into this position as the supply situation is taking time to redress.

[SierraJuliet]

19 August 1942

SS RO-68 attacks APD Colhoun near Rennell Island. Everyone lives to fight another day.

10 Zeros take on 12 CAP over PM today. This time 1 Airacobra is reported lost. 2 Zeros make a late run and bag a Kittyhawk.

Bombers again over Kokoda and today the B-17s turn their attention on Lae. 18 Zero are available for CAP against 17 bombers. 3 Zeros reported damaged. 3 bombers damaged and 1 destroyed by flak. They come in at 5000 feet and cause 5 casualties, airbase hits 3, airbase supply hits 2 and runway hits 14. Buna is also paid a visit by 13 B-17 and 2 Zero are there to provide nuisance value…. 1 runway hit reported from these bombers also flying at 5000 feet.

The Japanese troops on the Kokoda Track do some more bombarding but in the jungle I get the feeling that very little is being achieved by this tactic.

[SierraJuliet]

20 August 1942

Bombers over the track. Bombers over Lae. 20 Zero are available for CAP…. 45 B-17 turn up escorted by 3 Airacobra. Some damage on the ground and a couple of planes lost on either side.

21 August 1942

SS Greenling shoots 6 torpedoes at PB Tama Maru # 8 near Rabaul and misses.

CA Chokai and two of the Aobas + 2 light cruisers try a bombardment of Lunga. 35 ground losses reported plus airbase supply hits 2, runway hits 1 and port hits 1. I neglect to get night time spotters up…. Todd reminds me of this. I won’t be forgetting to do that again.

SS Greenling moves on to Kavieng and fires off 6 torpedoes at xAKL Kennichi Maru and misses.

Bombers over the track again… no Japanese damage reported.

22 August 1942

The only thing of note to report is more bombing on the track of Japanese forces…. Again no damage reported.

[SierraJuliet]

The US Fleet is on the move again. Well off the map the IJN CVs are also moving south from Truk.

[SierraJuliet]

As I am still coming to terms with the search functionality in AE I've made a determined effort to get decent search patterns organised. The intention is to keep tabs on the US Fleet movements.

Here is the patterns coming out of Shortlands.

[SierraJuliet]

And here is the search patterns fanning out from Rabaul.

[SierraJuliet]

23 August 1942

SS Greenling scores 1 torpedo hit on xAKL Heiwa Maru near Rabaul and the merchant sinks.

Sweep over Port Moresby. 9 Zero v 10 Kittyhawk and 10 Airacobra. 3 Zero lost for 3 Airacobra. A trade but ouch that hurts. Second sweep 9 Zero v 9 Kittyhawk and 3 Airacobra. This time 1 Zero for 3 Kittyhawk. 3rd sweep sees 2 Zero v 2 Kittyhawk and 1 Airacobra…. No one is lost. 3 more Zero make a sweep and find they have the sky to themselves.

[SierraJuliet]

And a screenshot of the fleet positions at the end of the day. The IJN carriers are just off screen. The Allies have sent in shipping to Lunga and I'm guessing their main force is to the south. Tanaka with cruisers Takao, Atago and Maya is poised to make a run on the shipping at Lunga.

[SierraJuliet]

24 August 1942

Tanaka eludes the screening task forces and bursts into the anchorage at Lunga. APs President Bowen and George F. Elliot are sunk along with DD MacDonough and Dale. Furragut and Worden also take shell hits. AP Fuller is present but escapes Japanese attention. DD Oyashio and Maikaze each take 3 shell hits. Oyashio is at 22 10 6 0 and 4 major flooding whilst Maikaze is at 38 20 8 0 and 7 major flooding. Maikaze’s last report stated that temporary flooding repairs were failing. Allied ground casualties reported as 1630 with 50 non-combat squads and 27 engineer squads destroyed, 15 guns and 22 vehicles destroyed. 100% moonlight and the Allied task force was caught at the anchorage and Maya gets the credit for sinking Dale and George F. Elliot.

SS Greenling is still hanging around Kavieng.

My CVs send out a partial aerial force against the American task force near Kirakira. 12 Zeros escort 8 Kate and find themselves up against a CAP of 36 Wildcat. Final tally is 5 Zero and 3 Kate destroyed for 1 Wildcat destroyed. They sight CV Saratoga but nothing nasty comes anywhere near the carrier. So now Todd is well aware of the area my carriers are operating from.

Fortresses attack Lae.

Japanese forces launch a deliberate attack on the Kokoda Track and achieve 1 – 1 odds. 342 Japanese casualties to 185 Allied casualties.

[SierraJuliet]

Tanaka in the hen coop.

[SierraJuliet]

Positions at the end of the day.

[SierraJuliet]

25 August 1942

Todd was none too happy that Tanaka had slipped past his surface action groups at Lunga. If that dampened his spirits the events of 25 August were really going to ruin his outlook for the rest of the day.

At Lunga SS RO-68 is in the sights of DD Worden but she eludes. Worden for her part is reported to have been hit been a patrol aircraft. AP Fuller was also reported to have been hit by one of my patrol aircraft.

In the afternoon Yamaguchi does something I never managed to get any Admiral to pull off in my GC with Todd…. Namely manoeuvre the IJN carriers to a position out of range of the American carriers and then react to get a little closer but still out of the Americans range to counterstrike. Yamaguchi achieved this and sent off a strike of 21 Zero, 36 Kate and 50 Val. They had to contend with a CAP of 27 Wildcat. The escort did a magnificent job and held the CAP at bay so the bombers could benefit from an uninterrupted run into their targets. I was rather unhappy with my bombers when they started attacking BB North Carolina like bees at a honey pot…. Surely they had specific orders to target carriers! By the end of the action, though, I was more than satisfied with the result. Planes lost – 2 Zero, 4 Kate and 3 Val to 3 Wildcats. CV Saratoga was hit by 1 bomb and 1 torpedo (not nearly enough but surely a little time in port fixing up the dents). BB North Carolina was hit by 4 bombs AND 3 torpedoes (reported to be on fire and heavy damage). For good measure CA Portland was hit by 1 bomb and CLAA Atlanta was hit by 2 bombs and reported to have heavy fires and heavy damage. Obtaining those torpedo hits on NC placated me and left me feeling fairly certain that she could be finished off in the next day or so. Given that she is one of the 2 modern US battleships in this scenario I was very happy to remove her from the contest… one less lethal battleship for my heavy ships to deal with should it come to knife fights down the slot.

Over at Lunga SS I-174 manages to get 1 torpedo into AP Heywood.

Cribtop asked the question how I anticipated using my carriers and surface capital ships of Combined Fleet. Hopefully this helps answer the question regarding my carriers. I wanted to try and whittle away at the US carrier strength and maintain my offensive capability. 1 US carrier certainly out and now another out for a little while at least. Removing NC is a big boost as well. So for the time being, until Hornet turns up and Sara gets fixed, it is 2 IJN CV to 1 USN CV.

[SierraJuliet]

26 August 1942

After the excitement of the CV action things go quiet in the air. Underwater is a different story.

SS RO-34 lurking around Lunga locates AP Heywood and scores 2 torpedo hits and the AP is listed as sunk.

In the postscript to the previous day’s action SS I-169 locates the struggling BB North Carolina near Kirakira and scores 3 torpedo hits to send her to the bottom. It seems she had been left with DD Phelps as her guard whilst the rest of the Allied fleet scurried south.

I’ve enjoyed claiming some AP in this scenario… I had little success locating, let alone sinking, APs in my GC against Todd.


27 August 1942

SS I-171 is hunted by DDs Warramunga and Arunta at Milne Bay. She sustains 1 hit.

SS Wahoo is located at Shortlands and PC Ch 32 makes a lot of noise searching but little else of use.

I try to sneak 12 unescorted Val in to bomb the Australian troops on the track. 3 Airacobra lie in wait and 3 Val are shot down.

I have a small surface force centred on CA Aoba near Milne Bay. Beauforts and B-17s launch three raids against the Japanese ships without result.

Feeling fairly secure that the Allied carrier force has departed the field for at least a few days I decide to let the IJN carrier planes raid Lunga. 20 Kate and 39 Val escorted by 17 Zero do the job. 35 casualties reported as well as airbase hits 5, airbase supply hits 2 and runway hits 19. If my understanding of game mechanics is correct I need to keep the damage to the airfield at Lunga above 60 in order to ensure that the Americans cannot get a functioning CAP going. Every bit helps and I’m sure the naval aviators appreciate a change. 1 Val is lost the flak.

17th Army is ordered to pack itself up and get moving from Truk down to Tassafaronga. It only has a range of 1 so I want it there in position to assist with assaults on Lunga and Tulagi. With 2 American carriers out of action for the time being I am beginning to feel that a Japanese return to Lunga and Tulagi is now a possibility. I’d prefer to be doing that than trying to organise a retreat up the island chain.

BB Yamato and CL Sendai arrive at Truk. I do intend using Yamato regardless of her legendary fuel guzzling characteristics.

[Cribtop]

Nice result! Every CV matters in Guadalcanal, especially for the IJN. I would say send subs to watch the path to Sydney as Sara will probably need the services of the shipyard, but I know you're well ahead of the game so I'll just hope you finished her. [:)]

[SierraJuliet]

28 August 1942

Kirishima, Hiei, Haguro and Myoko bombard Lunga. 139 casualties. Runway hits 9, port hits 2 and port supply hits 1.

Aoba and Tenryu bombard Milne Bay. 6 casualties.

The carriers send in another 20 Kate and 38 Val to Lunga for 1 airbase hit, 1 airbase supply hit and 12 runway hits.


29 August 1942

SS Greenling locates PCs Ch 10 and 11 and elects not to launch torpedos.

16 Betty drop bombs on Lunga for 4 airbase hits, 2 airbase supply hits and 28 runway hits.

Afternoon sweep over Port Moresby and 11 Zero against 28 Airacobra results in 1 Zero destroyed for 6 Airacobra destroyed.

Second sweep by 8 Zero against 14 Airacobra results in 1 Zero destroyed for 3 Airacobra destroyed.

Over Lunga way 21 Kate and 37 Val get 1 airbase and 5 runway hits.

On the Kokoda Track I order a deliberate attack and achieve 1 to 3 assault odds. Raw AS is IJA 293 to Australian 121. That jungle is quite the force multiplier as the adjusted values are 184 v 616! The Australians also get a + for their leader so Todd has someone good leading the 30th Brigade.


30 August 1942

SS Greenling is still hovering around Kavieng. She attacks AMc Wa 4 and eludes the response.

13 Betty bomb Lunga for airbase hits 2, airbase supply hits 3 and runway hits 3.

4 RO submarines and a bunch of Army units arrive at Truk. It takes me a few days but I will soon be aware that those units are way too many for the base and they are crippling the supply situation. This is why I’m doing a scenario… to learn something about logistics! It will take some time I think.

[SierraJuliet]

Thanks Cribtop. It has been a very good start. I didn't think the damage to Sara was all that bad. Enough to keep her away from my lot for a little while and give me a short term advantage. We've just made it to 1 October game time and I can tell you that Sara does make a return in this game.

I agree about the carriers. Logistics is also a big component in this scenario. I'm finding I should be doing a whole lot better at planning how and where to move things around. So far so good but it is a case of getting stuck in with pen and paper and working things out ahead of time. A skill I have learned that I do need to work very hard at developing.

[Cribtop]

It's all about supplying Tassafaronga and suppressing Lunga. You're off to a good start.

[SierraJuliet]

31 August 1942

Near Finschhafen 3 Beaufort escorted by 7 Airacobra land a single bomb on board xAKL Kantori Maru causing heavy fires.

Two more destroyers and an escort arrive at Truk.

End of the first month and a review of where I’m at is coming up soon.

Thanks Cribtop. Supplies building at Tassafaronga and Lunga AF is well and truly suppressed.... never wanted that airfield to become operational when US planes are using it.

[SierraJuliet]

Here is the lay of the ocean at the end of August. Allied fleets have retreated for the time being to the south. My carriers are scooting back to Rabaul for some refreshments. A couple of cruiser SAGs having a drink and lingering in the area should they be called upon. The sub picket is thick and ready to do more dastardly work.