Scenario is Coral Sea updated, playing the unofficial 7 patch and have a boatload of modded small scenarios which is awesome to a newbie like me.
All thoughts and strategy, especially the incorrect ones, are all mine
Figured out the following - the small crap Japan has near Guadalcanal is a trap.
Ignore it, do not even set American planes on CV's to any mission - just rest them, they will do plenty very soon. It's not worth it to even tire my pilots, even if they sink the lot (which they won't).
The situation is, the big bad Japanese are coming towards Port Moresby.
First things first, move all A-20 Havocs (2 squadrons), P40's which I can muster (which is.... 1 squadron) to Port Moresby (in case of P40, move them to NE Oz, then onto Port Moresby).
A20's set to naval attack to max P40 escort range, P40's set to cap and escort. Both set to rest 10-20%.
Meet up both CV TF's South of Milne Bay and mission speed to SW of Milne Bay. Do not dare move close to Port Moresby because there.... be.....Betties (shudder) escorted by infinite Zero's (involuntary tick) flown by Japanese supermen pilots (both eyes tick now, need Visine).
I set a trap, since I know that my pilots are crap, my airplanes are crap, my torpedoes do not work, and the range of my carrier borne airplanes is much, much less than the superb, highly advanced, way ahead in war technology Imperial Japan (color me shocked as an American).
Submarine attack near Milne Bay at 103,133
Japanese Ships
xAK Tatumiya Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
Allied Ships
SS S-44
xAK Tatumiya Maru is sighted by SS S-44
SS S-44 launches 2 torpedoes
Night Naval bombardment of Port Moresby at 98,130 - Coastal Guns Fire Back!
Allied aircraft
no flights
Allied aircraft losses
A-20A Havoc: 2 damaged
5 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.
Japanese Ships
CL Yubari
DD Asanagi
DD Oite
DD Yayoi
DD Mutsuki
Allied ground losses:
18 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 2
Port hits 1
Crap they moved so fast.
I did not move my Proud Ozzie fleet (all of 3 ships - DD, CL and CA) close enough to intercept, because... there... be... Betties. I know from playing Thousand Mile War (Great newbie learning scenario!) that naval ships TF move much faster than heavily loaded amphibious convoys, and also know that Japanese sailors are much better at naval combat, especially at night.
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,134
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid spotted at 16 NM, estimated altitude 3,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 12
Allied aircraft
A-20A Havoc x 9
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
A-20A Havoc: 5 destroyed
Mental Note to General Timo: Perhaps move the fighters and setup CAP first, THEN move the bombers onto the base. Perfect bombing raid by Japanese supermen.
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Milne Bay at 100,134
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid spotted at 39 NM, estimated altitude 2,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 9
Allied aircraft
A-20A Havoc x 4
No Japanese losses
Allied aircraft losses
A-20A Havoc: 2 destroyed
Ye gods!
OPERATIONAL REPORT FOR May 06, 42
SS Greenling reports having been sighted by the enemy at 111 , 111
Coastwatcher Report: 3 ships in port at Lae
Coastwatcher Report: 1 ship in port at Siador
Coastwatcher Report: 1 ship in port at Gasmata
Coastwatcher Report: 3 ships in port at Lae
Coastwatcher Report: 1 ship in port at Lombrum
Coastwatcher sighting: 2 Japanese ships at 113,134 near Rekata Bay , Speed unknown
Coastwatcher sighting: 5 Japanese ships at 98,130 near Port Moresby , Speed 33 , Moving Northeast
TF 16 snooped by G3M2 Nell at 99,142 near Townsville
TF 16 sights Japanese Aircraft at 99,142 near Townsville
TF 17 observes Japanese Float Plane at 115,160 near Noumea
Catalina I reports oil slick at 101, 128 near Finschhafen
PBY-5 Catalina from VP-11 crashes on landing
xAK Tatumiya Maru is reported to have been sunk near Milne Bay on May 06, 1942
Well, our sub did hit (amazing!) and our torpedo thingamajig over-complicated pistol mechanism DID work (a major miracle!).
I moved my Cati's from Noumea to Milne Bay, and Milne now has 2 squadrons of Catis doing a very pretty rainbow from the base east and south-east. 20% rest on both, not using their max range at all.
I know from experience that after bombardment mission the big boy ships lose all their big boy ammo and they hightail it back to base.
Set reaction range of Proud Ozzies (tm) to max (6 I think) and come within 4 hexes of Port Moresby with them.
Results are spectacular (daytime action, thank goodness):
AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR May 07, 42
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Port Moresby at 98,132, Range 19,000 Yards
Japanese aircraft
no flights
Japanese aircraft losses
E7K2 Alf: 1 destroyed
Japanese Ships
CM Tsugaru, Shell hits 27, and is sunk
DMS W-20, Shell hits 4, and is sunk
AMc Fumi Maru #2, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
xAKL Hagoromo Maru, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
xAKL Noshiro Maru #2, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Canberra Maru, Shell hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Kansai Maru, Shell hits 5, heavy fires
xAK Kagu Maru, Shell hits 1, on fire
xAK Asakaze Maru, Shell hits 18, and is sunk
xAK Kamikaze Maru, Shell hits 1, heavy fires
xAK Sinsei Maru, Shell hits 3, on fire
xAK Chicago Maru
xAK Ikushima Maru, Shell hits 2
xAK Kasuga Maru #2, Shell hits 3, on fire
xAK Aso Maru, Shell hits 1
Allied Ships
CA Australia
CL Hobart
DD Whipple, Shell hits 2, on fire
Japanese ground losses:
2196 casualties reported
Squads: 23 destroyed, 66 disabled
Non Combat: 57 destroyed, 135 disabled
Engineers: 6 destroyed, 8 disabled
Guns lost 11 (4 destroyed, 7 disabled)
