At dawn we slept...in the cab on the way back from Olongapo

[desicat]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Oh...crap...Hiei keeps going. Well...this is why you signed up!

This seems to be the theme for this game, the carnage is horrific. Even so, he just took damage that is going to cost him.

[desicat]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Noumea: I think this leaves the even more beat up 4th Div and a SNLF at Noumea. Jap heavies 480 miles N of Koumac...probably headed for a night bombardment of Noumea. The 3 cruisers aren't going to be enough. Warpsite can't join easily because of the position of the KB. Looks like a night battle is in the works the night of 30/31. The CA need to (in order of priority):

1) Stop a shore bombardment by making the Jap heavies use up their ammo
2) Sink or put out of action the Jap heavies.
3) Not get sunk

If the airfield is intact, Jap cripples will be vulnerable to the SBD's...very Guadalcanalish.

A young Staff Officer waves several stacks of After Action reports with his left hand in frustration. "It seems that the exact opposite of what we expected happened in every case here! The Warspite did in fact engage the enemy, the Jap heavies didn't use up all their ammo, we didn't stop the shore bombardment nor put any of their bombardment force out of action, and I don't even want to discuss 'ships not getting sunk'. A quick leafing through of the aircraft losses leads even me to believe that the airfield may not quite be operational. I think it's time to get a new magic 8-ball, or stop asking questions with too many double negatives - it makes interpreting the answers too difficult."

"I can just hear the Admiral now."

Santa Maria!

Well..the plan was good. I blame the staff.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: desicat

A young Staff Officer waves several stacks of After Action reports with his left hand in frustration. "It seems that the exact opposite of what we expected happened in every case here! The Warspite did in fact engage the enemy, the Jap heavies didn't use up all their ammo, we didn't stop the shore bombardment nor put any of their bombardment force out of action, and I don't even want to discuss 'ships not getting sunk'. A quick leafing through of the aircraft losses leads even me to believe that the airfield may not quite be operational. I think it's time to get a new magic 8-ball, or stop asking questions with too many double negatives - it makes interpreting the answers too difficult."

"I can just hear the Admiral now."

Enjoy the many scenic wonders of N&IC, young man. [:D]

[Cap Mandrake]

Situation S and SE of Noumea. Having been built with Sheffield steel, Warspite, despite 4 torpedo hits and 3 bomb hits is still able to make 16 kts with only 20% flotation damage

[Cap Mandrake]

The runway at Noumea is at 56% damage. If there is no attack tonight we might be able to get fighters aloft.

[Cap Mandrake]

Aircraft destroyed on the "ground". Most of the this is from Zuiho...but it seems like too many. Perhaps some were on Zuiho and were taken out by 15 inch rounds

[Cap Mandrake]

Over in the Medium and Lesser Sundas, the remaining Dutch squadron is mean to the retreating TK's

Night Time Surface Combat, near Kofiau at 80,107, Range 11,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
E Shimushu
TB Kasasagi
TK Akatsuki Maru, Shell hits 3, heavy fires
TK Akebono Maru
TK Goyo Maru, Shell hits 6, heavy fires

Allied Ships
CL De Ruyter, Shell hits 1
DD Kortenaer
DD Witte de With
DD Banckert

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Situation S and SE of Noumea. Having been built with Sheffield steel, Warspite, despite 4 torpedo hits and 3 bomb hits is still able to make 16 kts with only 20% flotation damage

Holy crap! She must also be towing a balsa wood replica as a decoy!

[Justus2]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Aircraft destroyed on the "ground". Most of the this is from Zuiho...but it seems like too many. Perhaps some were on Zuiho and were taken out by 15 inch rounds

Is it possible Ryujo sank overnight also? It was listed as Heavy Damage, if flight ops were suspended, and it sank later in the turn, that could explain it. Zuiho and Ryujo each only carry 30/31 aircraft, so 40 ground losses is too high, but (assuming some attrition) losing 20 from each is possible.

[Cap Mandrake]

Yes...sinking of Ryujo would explain the numbers. She was hit quite badly and burning. In my experience, the ground losses are quite reliable intel. Also, as it was a daytime battle, both CVL's would likely have
had part of their air complement aloft on CAP or search.

[Cap Mandrake]

Interestingly, there were B5N1's in the strike. Normally, there would be B5N2's aboard the CV's

[Lecivius]

I wonder what caliber hit the carriers?

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: witpqs
Holy crap! She must also be towing a balsa wood replica as a decoy!

Exactly, I have never seen 4 IJN aerial torpedo hits result in only 20% flotation damage.

[Cap Mandrake]

OK..watched the replay.

Ryujo 5 hits from Warspite...numerous secondary explosions

Zuiho 6 hits from Warspite..secondary explosions..reported sunk on intel screen

Hiryu 3 hits from Warspite..at least one large secondary explosion..burning pretty good

Soryu 1 hit from Warspite..no fire.

Hiryu also suffered a collision at the start of the battle.

On the combat replay Warspite seems to suffer only 1 torpedo hit???

[Cap Mandrake]

Can't say all of those hits are main battery fire.

[Cap Mandrake]

I just realized there were TWO BB centered groups inbound to Noumea, Hiei and Kirishima

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I just realized there were TWO BB centered groups inbound to Noumea, Hiei and Kirishima

Well, send the unsinkable Warspite in there to deal with them! She may not have 15" rounds left but there are probably still some 6" aboard. About seventy hits on each BB should make them burn up ...

[desicat]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

ORIGINAL: desicat

A young Staff Officer waves several stacks of After Action reports with his left hand in frustration. "It seems that the exact opposite of what we expected happened in every case here! The Warspite did in fact engage the enemy, the Jap heavies didn't use up all their ammo, we didn't stop the shore bombardment nor put any of their bombardment force out of action, and I don't even want to discuss 'ships not getting sunk'. A quick leafing through of the aircraft losses leads even me to believe that the airfield may not quite be operational. I think it's time to get a new magic 8-ball, or stop asking questions with too many double negatives - it makes interpreting the answers too difficult."

"I can just hear the Admiral now."

Enjoy the many scenic wonders of N&IC, young man. [:D]

Ryujo 5 hits from Warspite...numerous secondary explosions

Zuiho 6 hits from Warspite..secondary explosions..reported sunk on intel screen

Hiryu 3 hits from Warspite..at least one large secondary explosion..burning pretty good

Soryu 1 hit from Warspite..no fire.

Hiryu also suffered a collision at the start of the battle.

LTjg Ranma Saotome, formerly of the IJN CV Zuiho and aide to her now missing Captain, thanked the crew of the whale boat that pulled him from the sea. The Spanish speaking crew immediately ignored him as they searched for other survivors.

Saotome muttered to himself, "Those cunning American planners, we must have fallen right into their trap. How did they know where we would be? Their planning staff must be manned by geniuses."

As the whale boat approached the parent fishing vessel the jg noted her name. 'Santa Maria, Concepcion Chile'.

[BBfanboy]

Wait ... is this where the young Japanese Lt. (jap grade) invents sushi? On a fishing boat named after a saint and a sex act and a hot pepper?
Can an invasion of South America be far off? Is the Lt. still covered by the landing bonus?
So much FOW here ...[;)]

[Cap Mandrake]

**************Feb. 1 , 1942(e)******************

Oz: Cruisers try to bombard Japs headed toward the front line near Brisbane. BB's had parked at Marysborough for 2 d. They picked tonight to go crusing.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Brisbane at 96,159, Range 11,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Fuso, Shell hits 6
BB Yamashiro
DD Yamakaze, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Kawakaze
DD Mikazuki

Allied Ships
CA Salt Lake City, Shell hits 1, on fire
CA Canberra, Shell hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
CL Perth, Shell hits 1, on fire
DM Ramsay, Shell hits 3, on fire
DD Le Triomphant