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Combat Report, August 19, 1942

Now is where, Dear Readers, and fellow members of the War Council, that I solicit your advice. I have a decision to make on this Western Australia adventure.

Perth: KB raided the harbor at Perth. I had set all the torp planes to AIRFIELD ATTACK, to hit the airbase, as I have found DBs get pummelled on that mission. The escort was very poor, and to my surprise, I found ships to hit, but it was not a smashing success; although I neutralized the TF for the time being, I didn't sink anything, and lost a ton of planes, over 70 Vals and Kates to be exact:

Morning Air attack on TF, near Perth at 49,147

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 45 minutes

Japanese aircraft
D3A1 Val x 78



Allied aircraft
P-39D Airacobra x 13
P-40E Warhawk x 7


Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 17 destroyed, 13 damaged


Allied Ships
BB Valiant, Bomb hits 14, heavy fires
DD Thracian, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
BB Warspite, Bomb hits 9, on fire
DD Hotspur, Bomb hits 1, on fire
CL Caradoc
DD Nestor, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL Birmingham, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires



Another attack just put more bombs on BBs, and lost me more planes. The escort somehow was separated, so this was bad for pilots.

I can replace the planes and pilots without too much trouble with a stop in Port Hedland, so this will pass. It does show a naval commitment, which is OK by me. I just wish we could have squared off against these ships.

In the meantime, Perth and the area around are filling up with troops. This isn't a surprise, as any US troops in Australia probably dropped whatever they are prepping for, and boarded a train for Perth.

I admit I am getting cold feet. I need 2-1 superiority in troops to really steamroll Western Australia, which means 4+ divisions will get me stuck. I should have thought through that ahead of time, but there it is. I would be very surprised if he can't get 4 divisions there. What next? Some options:

1. Keep going. Send in the rest of my available units, push, and hope for the best. BEST CASE: We clear the area and capture piles of troops. WORST CASE: We stall, and eventually have to do a risky evacuation, while in the meantime the US is pounding me elsewhere on the perimeter.
2. Keep going, but prepare to go. This would mean halting new troops shipments, advance toward Perth with what I have and keep building Geraldton behind me, but start gathering shipping for a quick evac. To make things complicated, those 2 Bdes are on the trail to Carnarvon; while that's a bad place for them, it also blocks a clean retreat for me overland. If I decide this, I won't get West Oz. What will I get? Well, I probably bought some time with all the US and Australian troops that are dropping offensive preps, and prepping for Perth instead.
3. Get out now: Not inclined to do this really, but putting it out there

It is August 1942; the Allies are in good shape in terms of ground troops now, so a protracted land campaign is not in my favor. They are NOT in good shape in LBA as I have shot down tons of fighters. They have CVs though. I really hate to give up the strategic initiative, especially with the naval shape I am in. But a land campaign in Australia is not appealing. Decisions..........

If I pull out, I should have another objective in mind, and not just wait. That's bad. The alternative is to set a trap somewhere and hope he attacks and brings CVs. Decisions.......
3.

Your opponent has decided to defend Perth vigorously it would seem.  You may be able to develop a situation in which he feeds aircraft, ships, and troops into the waiting maws of the Japanese military.  It's unlikely that you'll end up in a Guadalcanal sitaution since you have major bases in fairly close proxmity (Geraldton, Port Headland).  You might consider ratcheting up the tension by threatening to isolate Perth.  Your opponent might panic and send more victims into the killing zone.
 
With his attention focused in SW Oz, might there be other important locales that he might leave unprotected or underprotected that you could move on?
 
Right now you have the upperhand hand.  As long as you remain on top of things so that you can disengage and pull out once you no longer control events, I think you're right to continue the battle.  Unexpected victories like that port strike may continue.

If you expect to have air superiority, fighting around Perth is probably worth it. AFAIK, cultivated terrain does not provide any defensive bonuses, so regular air bombardment can compensate for the lack of infantry. Particularly if you move to cut Perth off and force your opponent to move your troops, instead of just having them sit behind the forts. I think it is better to push.

Q-ball,

You've said your piece and done the damage you intended to do. Good on you. I think it's time to go.

What is the hexside ownership of that railroad hex one hex East of Geraldton? You may be in a major trap. The Aussies have two dot hexes due East of you (4 hexes East and 6 hexes ENE) that are open to them. If I were Allies, I'd run as many LCUs up there with as much of a supply draw and base forces as I possibly could before you block the railroad. If they can Strat move there, they could be there in one turn when your opponent realizes that he can move from Perth back along this railroad.

If your opponent realizes this, he can have three bases from which to bang on you with. If I were him, I wouldn't move one ship into this area that you can sink.

Your opponent can easily reinforce by rail and bring LBA into the area. He has strength in both arenas, you are likely at a competitive disadvantage with this type of warfare here.

I'd recommend making preparations for departure.

Update: I will post a map and other details, but the game has changed. This is a good thing.

The whole point of the foray into Western Australia was to destroy units. You guys did a good job of articulating the hazards, and I am pulling out. But not entirely because of the situation; mostly, because a much better opportunity has presented itself!

The last few days, the Allies invaded the Marshalls, taking Tarawa, Makin, and Mili. I had about a Nav Gd and base force in each, insufficient to stop the invasion for sure, though the CD guns at Mili took a toll, sinking CA Quincy, and perhaps another CA, as well as a couple transports and other ships. I had a pile of Bettys at Roi Namur set to Naval Attack, but for 4 days they inexplicably sat on the runway, before launching 19 bombers that missed. Bad!

The good news, is that this position is exposed. He is basically out of P-40s, and probably low on Wildcats (I'll post Allied losses), so in a battle of attrition I can actually win.

Because of this, I don't have to worry about USN intervention over by Perth. Elements of the IJN will cover the withdrawl, which can proceed quickly, while the bulk moves to the Marshalls. Several IJA Divisions are now prepping for Mili, Makin, and Tarawa. We intend a counter-landing before the end of the year.

That lodgement is precarious for the Allies. They have better airbase support and 4Es, but it's a long way to the nearest port (Pearl Harbor), where they can replenish. I have an advantage there.

I will post some maps, but should be fun!

Update: Strategic Update

I am updating this AAR periodically, and the strategic situation has changed dramatically. Several moves on both sides have culiminated in a massive 4-day Naval Battle around Nauru Island that isn't over yet. So far both sides have suffered alot of casualties, so it remains to be seen who is the victor. First, an update on other fronts.

Western Australia: Many of you commented on this. I landed in force at Geraldton, with the intention of taking Perth. I debated whether to continue, as the Allies were sending strong reinforcements to the area, from the RECON I was flying over Kalgoorie and all points.

Ultimately, with the Allied move into the Marshalls, I abandoned Western Australia. Several convoys were sent to pick everyone up at Geraldton, covered by 2 BBs, plus a CV force built around JUNYO. Over several days, I managed to lift out every unit safely; there is now, on Sept 5, nothing left in Geraldton but a few supplies. This evacuation is COMPLETE, and was successful.

Burma: I managed, though, to get 2 divisions, the 5th and the 2nd, plus a Tank Regt, cut off in Akyab! Mostly this was due to stupidity on my part, and my opponent understanding the terrain. They were easily cut-off, and are currently beseiged. I did manage to get fragments of both divisions out via barge, but a larger rescue might be necessary, particularly if I want to save the Tank Rgt.

This is a problem of my doing. Another Allied force is entering upper Burma. I abandoned Myiktinya, and am forming an MLR along the Irriwaddy.

I have made a hash of Burma, that's for sure.

Marshalls: The real action has been in the Marshalls. The Allies landed in the Marshalls in strength around August 20th, taking Makin, Mili, and Tarawa. We sank CA Quincy via CD guns at Mili, but for the most part the initial operations went badly for us. An attempted counterattack at Mili went badly for me, as my cruisers for some reason ended up in bad position in daylight, and were nailed by the USN CVs; Nachi, Chokai both went down, and 2 more were heavily damaged. Those were only my 2nd and 3rd CAs lost in the game (Furutaka was lost in April to a 1000lb bomb).

Repeated air attacks by Bettys on Mili netted nothing, other than a sunk transport or two, lost of dead IJN planes, and some Wildcats.

Meanwhile, was rapidly concentrating the IJN, most of which was deployed around Western Australia. I also needed to quickly reinforce several points, particularly the 2nd line of Kusaie, Ponape, and Nauru. Nauru, where I had been building an airbase, was the most vulnerable, and I ran a convoy carrying 2 Regts in right around the 1st of September.

This convoy, and the importance of Nauru, sparked a decisive battle, which I will update in the next post....

Combat Report, Sept 2-4: Battle of Nauru:

The last several days has seen a truly desparate battle around Nauru. Both sides have thrown in the kitchen sink, and the battle is not quite over yet.

Set-Up: After the air actions around Mili, I thought the Allies would withdraw their CVs toward Pearl Harbor, and consolidate gains. I decided to send in the convoy to Nauru with 2 Regts, covered by a CV TF consisting of AKAGI, KAGA, and HIYO. These ships arrived first to the area, with the rest of my CVs on the way.

Day 1: Allied Victory: Day one was an Allied Victory. Surprisingly, the Allied CVs advanced toward Nauru, inflicting a painful defeat. AKAGI, KAGA, and HIYO all were sunk; the only real counterattack was this disappointing strike:

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 36
B5N2 Kate x 46
D3A1 Val x 48



Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 41


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 5 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 17 destroyed, 20 damaged
D3A1 Val: 9 destroyed, 15 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 2 destroyed

Allied Ships
CV Enterprise, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires
CA San Francisco, Torpedo hits 1
CV Lexington
CL Helena, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Caldwell
DD Case

That's it....not very good return on 3 sunk CVs. Ouch! ENTERPRISE was certainly hurt and out of subsequent rounds, but I don't think she sank.

On the bright side, the Allies lost well over 100 planes in this fight, as I had extra CAP from Nauru. Still, a disaster.

I observed what was clearly an invasion fleet headed to Nauru! This really shocked me. Could he have prepped units for Nauru? That would be pretty incredible foresight if he did, hats-off.

At this point it looked bleak, but I knew I had reinforcements steaming to the area. The first to arrive was a BB TF. During this day, they were right at Nauru Island; they were not attacked, though, as the USN focused on the CVs. I decided to run them right at the invasion fleet; I figured the USN CVs would be very low on operable strike aircraft, and at any rate, I had alot of fighters at Nauru (refugees from the Sunk CVs). I took a chance....

Day 2: Night Action off Nauru: This was a risky move; I had no idea what was out there, other than a large fleet. The result was a DRAW; I didn't stop the fleet, but I did inflict damage on the BBs. Here are the main rounds:

Night Time Surface Combat, near Ocean Island at 130,128, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Hiei, Shell hits 2
BB Nagato, Shell hits 4, on fire
BB Mutsu, Shell hits 18, and is sunk
CA Ashigara
CA Aoba
CA Kinugasa, Shell hits 1
CL Oi, Shell hits 1
DD Hatsushima, Shell hits 1
DD Wakaba
DD Shikinami, Shell hits 4, on fire
DD Ayanami

Allied Ships
BB Colorado, Shell hits 2
BB Mississippi, Shell hits 2, on fire
BB North Carolina, Shell hits 23, Torpedo hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Henley, Shell hits 10, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Patterson, Shell hits 5, heavy fires
DD Craven

And another round......

Night Time Surface Combat, near Ocean Island at 130,128, Range 12,000 Yards

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
BB Hiei
BB Nagato, on fire
CA Ashigara
CA Aoba
CA Kinugasa
CL Oi
DD Hatsushima
DD Wakaba
DD Shikinami, Shell hits 1, heavy fires
DD Ayanami

Allied Ships
BB North Carolina, Shell hits 5, and is sunk
DD Henley, Shell hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Patterson, Shell hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Craven, Shell hits 3, on fire


Last one....

Night Time Surface Combat, near Tarawa at 133,128, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
BB Hiei, Shell hits 9, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Ashigara
CA Aoba
CA Kinugasa
CL Oi
DD Hatsushima
DD Wakaba

Allied Ships
BB Colorado, Shell hits 4, on fire
BB Mississippi, Shell hits 25, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage




Clearly, these two TFs just absolutely wailed on each other! I lost HIEI and MUTSU (HIEI was finished by DBs in the morning). He lost NORTH CAROLINA for sure, and almost certainly MISSISSIPPI; I have never seen a ship survive "heavy fires, heavy damage", and at any rate she took a beating.

We also each lost a DD; COLORADO and NAGATO each took damage that will yard them for awhile. Losing 2 good IJN BBs really hurts, but yet again, this sets up a very good day 3 for the Empire.....

Day 3: Air Action: By this point, the Allies had expended alot of aircraft; Day 2 featured addition strikes on Nauru facing bad CAP, which shot down alot of DBs and Wildcats. I finally was reinforced by my core KB component, of 5 CVs: SHOKAKU, ZUIKAKU, HIRYU, plus SHOHO and ZUIHO. I knew they would arrive by this day.

I was praying that Invasion would NOT be cancelled. The prior day, Vals from Nauru took a shot at the USN CVs, and although they missed, there were only 22 Wildcats up in CAP, due to all the losses. THAT is a weak CAP! Allied CV air losses had been extreme. But Hemajor was realy committed to Nauru it seems.

Here are the combat reports from this day.

First, the LBA strike from Nauru; I didn't have much there, so it was weak, but I think it broke up some of the CAP:

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 45 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 10
D3A1 Val x 22



Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 15


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
D3A1 Val: 6 destroyed, 3 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
CV Lexington
CV Wasp

AM Stike...as soon as that large Strike Package flashed, before they dropped a bomb, I knew it was going to be a good morning!

Morning Air attack on TF, near Ocean Island at 129,129

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 51
A6M2-N Rufe x 2
B5N2 Kate x 35
D3A1 Val x 46



Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 19


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
A6M2-N Rufe: 1 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed, 11 damaged
D3A1 Val: 11 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 2 destroyed

Allied Ships
CV Yorktown, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
CLAA San Diego, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Lansdowne, Bomb hits 2
DD Selfridge, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Duncan, Bomb hits 1, on fire
CL Phoenix, Bomb hits 3, on fire


Another AM strike; no escort, but the Wildcat numbers are really down:

Morning Air attack on TF, near Ocean Island at 129,130

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 45 minutes

Japanese aircraft
B5N2 Kate x 42
D3A1 Val x 25



Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 7


Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 3 destroyed, 21 damaged
D3A1 Val: 7 damaged


Allied Ships
CV Wasp, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
CLAA San Juan, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
DD Jarvis
DD McCalla
CL Honolulu, Bomb hits 1


And the only Allied strike of the day; clearly, they were completely cooked as far as aircraft on the CVs. He should have cancelled the invasion if it was this bad, but he must have figured it was a race to Nauru, and he wanted to win:

Morning Air attack on TF, near Nauru Island at 128,126

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 18 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 68
A6M2-N Rufe x 6



Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 1
SBD-2 Dauntless x 12


No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
SBD-2 Dauntless: 7 destroyed, 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
CVL Zuiho


AND NOW, the PM Strikes....

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Ocean Island at 129,130

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 45 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 9
D3A1 Val x 8



Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 5


Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
CV Lexington, Bomb hits 1, on fire


That was the only hit all day on Lexington, unfortunately...she will live, but the FIRES probably prevented any other ops

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Ocean Island at 129,129

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 33
D3A1 Val x 21



Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 4 damaged

Allied Ships
CV Yorktown, Bomb hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
DD Duncan, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage


I don't know if YORKTOWN sank, but that's 10 bomb hits and a torp hit. Certainly, she is in real danger tommorow if she didn't sink already. That DD probably went down.

Last PM strike was unescorted, but at this point, it didn't matter:

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Ocean Island at 129,130

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 51 minutes

Japanese aircraft
B5N2 Kate x 54
D3A1 Val x 43



Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 3


Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 3 destroyed, 40 damaged
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 9 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 2 destroyed

Allied Ships
CV Wasp, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
AMC Westralia, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires
CA Vincennes
CL Achilles, Bomb hits 4, on fire
CLAA San Juan, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAK West Camargo, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk
DD Monaghan
DD Jarvis, Torpedo hits 1
APD McKean
xAP Aeon, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Indianapolis, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
CL Perth, Bomb hits 3, on fire
CL Honolulu, Torpedo hits 1, heavy damage
DD McCalla
AM Bombay
xAP Cape Alava, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
xAP Anhui, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL Detroit, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires
CA Astoria, Torpedo hits 2, heavy damage
DD Meredith
DD La Triomphant


WASP was confirmed SUNK. The OPS report listed a total of 45 CV aircraft as GROUND losses; that could be the planes from WASP, or an extremely depleted contingent from both WASP and YORKTOWN, as he has lost piles of planes.

Tommmorow, I have additional surface ships reaching the area, and of course we are following up on this. Day 4 tommorow!

Carnage! I like it! Thanks for the update.

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Carnage! I like it! Thanks for the update.

Thanks Chickenboy! If my plans work out, you will see BLOOD tommorow...mostly Allied blood though.

Are other readers following this? Most know me from the AAR with Cuttlefish where I am the Allies, but in reality, I am a Japanese player at heart. That game vs. Cuttlefish will likely be the only PBEM I ever play as Allies.

Yes, I do follow this AAR. The last turns were the great example of perils of target fixation. Hemajor practically had his Midway (as it was envisioned by Japanese, not as it turned out[:)]), forcing you to commit your forces piecemeal, killing your carriers and exchanging capital ships at favorable rate. Then he blew most of his success by deciding to press the operation despite his forces being heavily attrited. I'd say, if only Wasp and Yorktown go down the operation of Marshalls are still a strategic victory for him (playing as Allies I'd eagerly exchange 2 CVs, 2 BBs, including one old BB, probably 3 CAs, 2 CLAAs and 2-3 CLs for 2 CVs, 1 CVL, 2 BBs and 2 CAs in 1942), but now it is a tactical (by headcount) and operational (by practically neutralizing the Pacific Fleet for a time and allowing you to safely eliminate his forces stuck in Marshalls) victory for you, instead of a near-perfect Allied triumph.

Q-ball,

What are your plans for your extricated forces from Western Australia? Where will you buttress with these sizeable forces?

Q-Ball, I'm following this because I'm most interested in seeing how your handle the Japanese in AE.  It makes for a good compare and contrast exercise to see how you utilize the knowledge you gain from playing the other side in your game with Cuttlefish.
 
This was a sharp engagement that was clearly a Japanese tactical and operational victory.  But on a strategic level it may be an Allied victory.  Despite the greater losses the Allies can afford them even if they lose the troops already landed.  However, that's not to say that this wasn't worth it for the Japanese - I mean, you can argue that ANY Japanese losses anywhere at any time are a strategic Allied victory simply because the Japanese are so much shorter on combat ships.  So the IJ player has to pick his battles and win as best he can, which you did in this instance.
 
Good luck!
 
P.S.  Why do you think you won't do another AAR as the Allied player? 

Battle of Nauru, Day 4:

Well, if you enjoy carnage Chickenboy, pull up a chair...I won't post all the reports, but it was ugly for the Allies.

I don't have torpedo HQ at Nauru (unfortunately), but I did put Betties there to at least Naval Bomb. They found and finished off YORKTOWN, and also sank a troop-laden xAP. CLAA SAN DIEGO is drifting West of Tarawa, and is clearly doomed; we'll finish her later. Another unidentified ship is drifting near Nauru; noone even bothered to attack it. My guess is that it's an AMC we damaged yesterday.

Most of the Allied ships are speeding for the safety of Tarawa, with more just outside. Here are the major attacks:

Morning Air attack on TF, near Abemama at 135,130

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 48
B5N2 Kate x 14
D3A1 Val x 40



Allied aircraft
F4F-3A Wildcat x 12
F4F-4 Wildcat x 3


Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 10 damaged
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 9 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3A Wildcat: 2 destroyed

Allied Ships
xAP Dardanus, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL Honolulu, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Makena, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Steel Voyager, Bomb hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Monaghan, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAP Tjisadane, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires
CL Detroit
DD Hammann
xAP Van Cloon, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk
CA Astoria, Bomb hits 1, on fire, heavy damage


Allied ground losses:
450 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 5 destroyed, 96 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Guns lost 18 (7 destroyed, 11 disabled)
Vehicles lost 5 (0 destroyed, 5 disabled)

That TF had troops on board; my guess is all heavily damaged transports sank, along with HONOLULU. Next, we hit Tarawa, where some transports are unloading troops (Fast):

Morning Air attack on TF, near Tarawa at 136,128

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 51 minutes

Japanese aircraft
B5N2 Kate x 22
D3A1 Val x 13



Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 10


Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 4 destroyed, 4 damaged
D3A1 Val: 4 destroyed, 2 damaged


Allied Ships
xAK Wind Rush, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAK West Planter, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
APD Stringham
DD McCalla
AG Regulus, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Kilty, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
APD McKean, Bomb hits 1, on fire


Allied ground losses:
18 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Unfortunately, some fragments will survive and rebuild, but the loss of escorts has to hurt:

Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 45 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 36
B5N2 Kate x 15
D3A1 Val x 26



Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 12


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 4 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 1 damaged
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed, 5 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
DD Decoy
CA Vincennes, Bomb hits 1
APD Little
xAK Wind Rush, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
APD Stringham
DD Blue
CL Leander
DD Mustin
AG Arctic, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk



That last one kind of disappointing.

In smaller attacks that I didn't post, Vals sank a DD, and an IJN sub picked-off another wounded DD making for Tarawa. That makes 6 so far in this battle by my count.

The Allies sent 10 DBs and 12 A-20s from Tarawa to attack my CVs as well; all were shot down. He is pretty much out of DBs, but just in case, I am keeping a strong CAP up over the carriers. During this sequence, almost 70 Zeros were flying CAP.

A silver lining to losing 3 CVs, is that I have replacements for air losses handy; the VAL and ZERO refugees from Akagi, Kaga, and Hiyo are flying out to replace losses on the CVs. I'm basically out of torps, but I am able to keep the strike numbers up.

More on Day 5 after I get the turn today, but this is not over yet.....

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

This was a sharp engagement that was clearly a Japanese tactical and operational victory.  But on a strategic level it may be an Allied victory.  Despite the greater losses the Allies can afford them even if they lose the troops already landed.  However, that's not to say that this wasn't worth it for the Japanese - I mean, you can argue that ANY Japanese losses anywhere at any time are a strategic Allied victory simply because the Japanese are so much shorter on combat ships.  So the IJ player has to pick his battles and win as best he can, which you did in this instance.

You're right, hard to say who wins. The problem is no matter what, the Japanese lose. Whatever happens now doesn't change the fact that in mid-1943, a pile of CVs arrive from US shipyards, and tip the balance. Can't help that part.

I am most interested at this point in killing cruisers, because the lack of cruisers is going to be a real problem. I have sunk nearly 20 USN/RAN cruisers so far (I will provide an exact estimate after the battle); which means after covering the CVs, he won't have many cruisers left for surface action. I have also sunk 14 total Allied BBs (4 at Pearl, 2-ForceZ,4-R-Class,all 3 New Mexicos, plus North Carolina). What I hope is that if he has CV superiority, which he will, I will still be able to bring too many surface ships to bear and crush an invasion. I have lost 3 CA, 2 BB, and 2 CL, plus maybe 10 DDs, so the IJN surface fleet is in great shape. THIS is the weapon I am counting on (well, at least until mid-1944 anyway, when the Allies get more BBs and cruisers)

That's why I want to kill cruisers.

ORIGINAL: FatR

Yes, I do follow this AAR. The last turns were the great example of perils of target fixation. Hemajor practically had his Midway (as it was envisioned by Japanese, not as it turned out[:)]), forcing you to commit your forces piecemeal, killing your carriers and exchanging capital ships at favorable rate. Then he blew most of his success by deciding to press the operation despite his forces being heavily attrited. I'd say, if only Wasp and Yorktown go down the operation of Marshalls are still a strategic victory for him (playing as Allies I'd eagerly exchange 2 CVs, 2 BBs, including one old BB, probably 3 CAs, 2 CLAAs and 2-3 CLs for 2 CVs, 1 CVL, 2 BBs and 2 CAs in 1942), but now it is a tactical (by headcount) and operational (by practically neutralizing the Pacific Fleet for a time and allowing you to safely eliminate his forces stuck in Marshalls) victory for you, instead of a near-perfect Allied triumph.

That is a good analysis; so far, I have turned a complete disaster into at least a draw of some sort. You could argue that there are NO strategic victories for Japan possible.

If I can sink another 3-4 cruisers, maybe I can tip this to a win. Sinking transports of course changes nothing, unless I can actually wipe out an entire ground unit, but that usually means wiping out 100% of a convoy. Not sure I can do that.

If Hemajaor had stopped at Day 1, he would have a major victory. You have to be extremely careful to commit CVs as their air strength dwindles. I can do it now, only because a) I know he only has one operational CV left (LEX), and she probably fled to Pearl as she was out of aircraft, and b) the refugee aircraft from the sunk CVs provide me with replacements.

I think Hemajor's calculations were influenced greatly by the Perth Raid (see above). In that raid, with KB, I lost alot of strike aircraft. (Akagi, Kaga, Hiyo were upgrading, and not present). I think Hemajor figured that gave him a month's peace or so. Thing is, right after that raid, when the Marshalls invasion landed, I steamed straight north, picked up new planes, pilots, and torps at Port Hedland, and steamed for Truk. In 1942, the Japanese can recover quickly if you plan ahead. On August 20th, SHOKAKU and ZUIKAKU were at Perth getting their airgroups shredded; by Sept 4, they were off Tarawa, raining death from above. THAT is a quick move.

The other lesson: Carriers can cross the entire map in about 2 weeks; that's the biggest window you get, and I think Hemajor miscalculated how long that would take.

The other possibility is that he mistook my small CV force off Geraldton for a larger one. That CV force has only JUNYO and RYUJO; I really had it there just to keep surface ships away while I evacuated. Maybe I regret not having them available for Nauru Is., but I think it turned out anyway, and they may have contributed by confusing my opponent.

Blood! Blood! We want more Blood! Give him the chair!

Yes! Yes! The comfy chair! Please, sir, can I have some more (blood, that is)?

BLOOD? You want BLOOD? Well, step right up for Day 5 at the Combined Fleet Cafe. Today's special: CHILI-CON-CARNAGE!

My esteemed opponent hung in there, and to his credit sent a turn back (which isn't easy when you KNOW it's going to be bad), and also didn't split his ships into 50 1-ship TFs to confuse the surface routine.

It was a bloody day, and it actually could have been WAY worse for the Allies believe it or not. First, the NIGHT ACTION. For convenience I have pasted together 4 separate combats into one, all involving the KONGO TF. Mmmmm, I love the smell of Cordite in the Evening!:

Night Time Surface Combat, near Tarawa at 136,128, Range 11,000 Yards

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
BB Kongo
BB Haruna
CA Tone
DD Yugumo
DD Kazegumo
DD Makigumo

Allied Ships
CL Detroit, Shell hits 11, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DE John D. Edwards, Shell hits 4, and is sunk
AM Kapunda, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
AM Katoomba, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
AM Launceton, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
xAK West Ira, Shell hits 7, and is sunk
xAK Am. Leader, Shell hits 10, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
xAP Centaur, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
xAK Yochow, Shell hits 13, and is sunk
xAK Woolgar, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
AMC Westralia, Shell hits 36, and is sunk
KV Dawson, Shell hits 8, and is sunk
SC-520, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
AM Punjab, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
AM Junee, Shell hits 27, and is sunk
xAK City of Rayville, Shell hits 7, and is sunk
xAP Wanaka, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Gorgon, Shell hits 21, and is sunk
xAP Johanne Justesen, Shell hits 23, and is sunk
xAP Macedon, Shell hits 9, and is sunk
DD Hammann, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
xAK Steel Seafarer, Shell hits 53, and is sunk
AM Bombay, Shell hits 4, and is sunk
AP Thomas Jefferson, Shell hits 9, and is sunk
xAP Zachary Taylor, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Monaghan, Shell hits 13, and is sunk
AM Chevreuil, Shell hits 6, and is sunk


Allied ground losses:
1832 casualties reported
Squads: 13 destroyed, 132 disabled
Non Combat: 6 destroyed, 205 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 9 (1 destroyed, 8 disabled)
Vehicles lost 9 (2 destroyed, 7 disabled)


That was a 100% wipeout of that convoy; not sure what was on it, but whatever those unit/units were, they are toast now.

I had also observed, the day before, that there were 32 ships anchored in port, including a "CV". I was sure that was ENTERPRISE, heavily damaged from the Day 1 action. I set about 60 Betties on Port Attack; the results were very disappointing, lots of shot-down Betties from CAP, and only two hits. They were interesting hits though:

Morning Air attack on Tarawa , at 136,128

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 28 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 25



Allied aircraft
P-38F Lightning x 2
F4F-3A Wildcat x 2
F4F-4 Wildcat x 2


Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged


Allied Ships
BB Colorado, Bomb hits 1
CV Enterprise, Bomb hits 2



Port hits 1

So, COLORADO is there too!

Prudently, Hemajor sent every ship that could still make speed EAST out of harm's way. I did not spot HONOLULU or SAN DIEGO, two ships with extremely high damage and fires, so I assume they sank. VALs from Kido Butai sank a pair of APDs fleeing east, and also put 6 more bombs into ASTORIA. She didn't sink though until I-171 also put 2 torps into her. Tough ship!

Next Steps: My air attacks were weak from Kido Butai; not sure why, checking the VAL units they are in good shape, morale over 70, not much fatigue...weather I think was a factor. There is still alot of CAP at Tarawa, Wildcats and P-38s, so I need to deal with that to get a clean shot at ENTERPRISE. She must be in bad shape to not have been moved, so in all likelihood, I need to sink her in Tarawa Lagoon.

The KONGO TF is headed back to Truk; they are completely out of Ammo. YAMASHIRO and KAKO have half their ammo right at Tarawa; I don't know what CD guns are there, but one way to find out. I probably have to bombard the base to take out the CAP. I pray he didn't bring a CD unit with him. Plan B is a Port Attack with KB, which will cause alot of losses, but what can you do: To get ENTERPRISE, it would be worth it.

I don't think I can sink COLORADO with anything other than BB Bombardments, so she will probably live. I bet I won't be seeing her though for a long while.

Oh, gawd....I think I'm gonna be sick... So much blood!

Nice shootin' Tex. [&o]

I am also watching this one Q-Ball.  Very enjoyable and informative AAR. Thank you. 

I agree with you about cruisers.  They are an overlooked key to limiting what the Allies can do later in the war.