The Battle of Kwajalein, April 14-16, 1942

[FDRLincoln]

Timeline, the Battle of Kwajalein, April 14-16, 1942


April 11, 1942
Imperial Japanese submarine I-2 reports four American carriers with accompanying cruisers and destroyers approximately 100 miles south of Midway Island, proceeding rapidly southwesterly towards the Japanese base on Kwajalein Island. Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi, commanding Carrier Strike Force East (carriers Shokaku, Zuikaku, Taiyo, and Junyo) is ordered to proceed east from patrol position west of Kwajalein to intercept.

April 12-13, 1942
No contact. Forces continue approaching each other.

April 14, 1942
Approximiately 200 miles NE of Kwajalein, scout aircraft from the American carriers locate the Taiyo and Junyo. Shortly afterward, the American carriers are sighted by float planes from the escorting cruiser Tone, leading the two Japanese ships to launch a strike of their own. A massive American strike including 30 torpedo aircraft, over 80 divebombers, and 40 escorting fighters hits the two Japanese carriers. The Taiyo takes three torpedoes and six bomb hits, the escort carrier sinking within an hour. Torpedo attacks on the Junyo are unsuccessful, but the new carrier (commissioned just last month) takes three bomb hits, one of which sets off the aviation fuel tanks. The ship explodes with the loss of over 800 crewmen. The airstrike launched from Taiyo and Junyo finds the American carriers Yorktown and Enterprise, but no bomb hits or torpedo hits are scored. The aircraft proceed to land at Kwajalein.
Miraculously for the Japanese, the Americans do not sight the Zuikaku and Shokaku, the two Japanese carriers covered by a rainsquall. Admiral Yamaguchi plots his revenge for the next day.

April 15, 1942
The two forces sight each other shortly before noon, both launching large strikes. Divebombers from the Enterprise, Hornet, Yorktown, and Lexington find the Shokaku and Zuikaku, putting three bombs in the former and two in the latter. Fires break out but the two large ships prove much more resistant to damage than the two converted carriers lost the previous day. The Japanese strike, meanwhile, overwhelms the American CAP, over 20 Wildcat fighters being shot down. Enterprise takes two bomb hits, Yorktown one, Hornet three bombs plus a torpedo.
Both sides launch second, though weaker, strikes, in the afternoon. Shokaku takes two additional bomb hits, but Zuikaku escapes damage. Hornet and Yorktown, meanwhile, take two more bombs each, forcing the suspension of flight operations. The Americans begin retiring to the southeast, while Yamaguchi continues to prowl.

April 16, 1942
A weak morning strike launched by the Lexington and Enterprise is swiped away by strong CAP from the Japanese carriers. A retaliatory strike launched by Yamaguchi lands two additional bombs on Enterprise. All the American carriers begin retreating southeasterly. Only Lexington remains capable of launching flight operations.
In the afternoon, land-baesd air from Kwajalein gets in on the action. 40 Betty bombers press the attack. American CAP shoots down six Bettys, but the remainder get through and launch a devastating torpedo attack. Hornet takes five torpedoes, causing the ship to founder and sink in the late afternoon. Lexington escapes damage, but both Yorktown and Enterprise take an additional torpedo. The American cruiser Indianapolis takes three torpedo hits and sinks during the night.

April 17, 1942
The battle ends, both sides withdrawing towards their respective fleet bases for repair. The conflict is the first carrier vs. carrier battle in history. The Japanese lose the escort carrier Taiyo and the newly-commissioned fleet carrier Junyo. Both Shokaku and Zuikaku are damaged and will require at least a month in the shipyard, possibly three months in the case of the Shokaku. The Americans lose the carrier Hornet and the cruiser Indianapolis, and both Yorktown and Enterprise are badly damaged and will require substantial repair.

Post-battle carrier strength in the Pacific, April 18, 1942

Americans: Lexington and Saratoga undamaged, Yorktown and Enterprise badly damaged, Hornet sunk 4/16/42.

Japanese: Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, Hiryu, Zuiho, Unyo, Hiyo undamaged. Shokaku badly damaged, Zuikaku damaged. Shoho undergoing repair from submarine torpedo strike suffered 3/1/42. Hosho sunk 2/14/42 (land-based air from Singapore), Ryujo sunk 3/18/42 (torpedoed by American submarine), Taiyo and Junyo sunk 4/14/42.

[mucky]

good stuff!

One question were you planning to invade Kwajalein (Gilbert islands i think its located at.)

If so what were your reasons? In my game i plan to invade a few of the gilbert island (including Kwajalein) so that i have a clear path through to aussie!

[FDRLincoln]

I'm the Japanese...I already hold Kwajalein....


Right now my main carrier force (KB) under Nagumo is heading back to Japan after several weeks of operations in the DEI. They need to repair a bit and get some replacement aircraft. This is my first game so I'm basically just learning the system. I'm happy with my progress so far, except for not being able to take Singapore yet.

With one American carrier sunk and two badly damaged I have some breathing room. I need to clean up the remaining Dutch possessions in the DEI, then I want to improve my position in the Solomons and around Tarawa, to interdict allied shipping going to/from Australia. I'm trying to avoid "overreach" such as afflicted the Japanese in real life.

[mucky]

I'm the Japanese...I already hold Kwajalein....

oops my bad [:o]

This is also my first game and im learning things the hard way! for example after the attack on PH i transfered all my damaged ships (mostly BB's) back to San.F but on the way back i lost about 75% of them...[:(] I should've kept them at PH [:'(]

[FDRLincoln]

Isn't this an awesome game? I've been wanting this game since I was a kid. A 20-year dream come true.

Apparently the Yorktown is more badly damaged than I thought. I have an airplane sighting report of the Yorktown, two cruisers, and six destroyers retiring at just 10 knots towards Baker Island. The other American carriers are retreating towards Pearl, so I'm thinking that the Yorktown is badly damaged and the AI is trying to get her to the nearest port before she sinks. I have a force of 3 heavy cruisers and 10 destroyers that will attempt a surface combat intercept.

[mucky]

this game is pretty sweet!

Ive actually lost the lady lex on a scounting mission towards Kwajalein, i had to scuttle it myself [:(]

And ive got all my other american carriers stationed at midway (you never know [;)]) My two british carriers haven't moved at all, i was going to send the two of them after the 'death star' but decided that it wasn't the best idea! Ive still to have a carrier battle but im looking forward to having one (I hope i win! [:D])


Wake didn't fall so ive been pumping in re-enforcements

singaporn has just fallen [X(] (that happen as i was typing it, got witp minimized!)

But so far my experience with this game has been great!!

[FDRLincoln]

I was lucky and took Wake on the first try. No problem at all....

But Bataan held out until March, and Singapore is still an western imperialist running sore in the side of the Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere. On the other hand, I liberated Rangoon from the imperialists in January, and I just put three torpedoes in the side of the Warspite, which foolishly tried to run the gauntlet to Singapore.

[mucky]

Rangoon for me was lost a few turns ago...im at the moment trying to build a formiddable defense along the indian/burma boarder! The phillipines is also holding out, but that wont be for long...ive pulled back to clark field but supplies are running low. And at the moment i losing points quickly, the janpanese have sunken around about 102 of my ships for their 24!![:(] But its still early on only febuary 42. I just need to hold out a bit longer, i also think its cool how intelligence works, radio detections, what speed and which direction ships are moving, its all so cool![:D]

[FDRLincoln]

Sometime I want to play a PBEM game, but I have to learn the system better first. I'm still trying to get the hang of everything.

[mucky]

it will be long time before i can play against other people, using air power is one thing i really need to learn

[FDRLincoln]

I do OK with air, my problem is ground units. I'm not doing as well as I should with my amphibious invasions, probably because I keep forgetting to have my units plan ahead.

[mucky]

As i recall this is the only game where I actually have to write what im doing! I like planning ahead for some reason. I like using my navy is well, i just cant seem to get air power sorted.

ive never really tried a full scale amphibious invasions. Ive only did one while playing as japan...it didn't go well [:(]

[FDRLincoln]

In a follow-up the the Battle of Kwajalein, on the night of April 20, 1942, a Japanese task force led by the cruiser Aoba, 2 other heavy cruisers, and ten destroyers, came across the crippled Yorktown and escorting destroyer Clark about 100 miles north of Baker Island. The imperialist destroyer and damaged carrier were quickly dispatched to the ocean depths by the mighty guns and torpedoes of the Imperial Navy.