March / April 1942 - I should read rules better
The game here was in New Zealand Coast ... meanwhile the Japanese were invading Australia, the USA reacted bringing a task force in that sea zone, where only a Zero and a Naval Bomber were.
The US carriers manage to get away all the Japanese planes, but remained without escort there; at the 2 box!
Clearly a bait - but a bait the Japanese bit.
The Japanese send in 6 cruisers - which fail to find the carriers. They litterally had no escort, 4 points of surprise it would mean the cruiers were gunning straight at carriers loaded with planes. Alas it was not to happen.
Seen the failure of their interception, the Imperial Command dispatches two other Zero, fresh, squadrons to base in closeby isles to provide air cover on the 3 box, where the cruisers are.
The US react in force, bringing in lots of carriers with half a dozen of cruisers. The Zero dogfight to their bitter end to protect the cruisers - with both Zeros being shot down for 2 US fighters - and then two Japanese cruisers are sank, one damaged and the remaining three flee to the safety of Rabaul.
Now this is where I should know the rules better. I thought the GARR in Canberra would go OOS if I cut the convoy pipeline with Australia. So I take a Naval Action with the Japan and not a combined one.
But the IJN spreads around - sinking 2 UK convoy in the Indian Ocean; 3 of the US out of Pago Pago despite the Catalina intervening to their protection - leaving Pago Pago temporarily out of supply.
But mostly the Japan Carrier Fleet - well these at avail - sail to meet the US carrier task force. They get only in the 1 box against the 2 box of the US, but Japan has airplanes with range 7 which gives a +2 to the search. Both sides find with 1-3.
Ironically, they find each other. A frontal combat of airplanes with no surprise; but the best fighter the US can field is a 4 air factor. And then they've many bombers with 1 or 2 air to air factor. Japan has 2 Zero with 6 factors.
The dices are not favoring the US either, which see every round a Japan bomber cleared through; and out of 4 rounds 3 are hits on their planes and then 1 aborted.
Aliked Midway except the last moment, the Japan naval pilots have fended off all the US assaults on the carriers. And all of the Japan bombers got on the US task force.
The US activate their death ray ... ehm I mean, they fire with their unfair amount of AA, obliterating one carrier plane of Japan.
In the end Japan picks a carrier which has a CVP on, sinking it. The US elects quickly to have the second and last destroyed target a puny cruiser. The last hit is for damage, the Japan picks the last carrier with a CVP on - the US selected one of the slow carriers to park their best plane on, assuming the Japan would have to choose between sinking (or trying to) a 6 moving carrier or their 5 naval factor CVP.
In the end Japan has lost much - but USA did lose more.
If that "more" is enough for their supreme production capability, that is a tale only time can tell.
