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September 22

Saratoga survives with flooding now at 84.

The Japanese have retired and so will the USN.

7 Forts over Buna and 1 is lost to flak.


September 23

SS Wahoo misses against APD-2 near Gasmata.

Saratoga flooding is at 83.


September 24

9 Dauntless bomb troops at Tassafaronga.

Saratoga flooding is at 82.


September 25

SS RO-62 is located near Cooktown and the escort report 4 hits.

Dauntless over Tassafaronga again.

Intell reports that 18th Army is now located at Buna.

Saratoga is 1 hex from Townsville and has flooding at 82.

September 26

SS Triton fires in DD Yudachi and misses. She then has a go at DD Hatsuyuki and again misses.

SS I-157 locates an ASW TF off of Townsville and fires at DD MacDonough and misses.

Dauntless bombs troops on Tassafaronga.

The Japanese carriers launch raids on PM. 5 Kates escorted by 23 Zero against CAP of 4 Kittyhawk, 16 Airocobra and 2 Seagull. 1 Seagull and 1 Airocobra are traded for 3 Zero and 1 Kate. A couple of Kate get through but don’t score hits. A second raid comes in… 6 Kate escorted by 11 Zero against 2 Kittyhawk and 6 Airocobra. 1 Kate is shot down and another to flak. xAK Steel Maker is the target but the torpedoes go wide.

Saratoga is pier side at Townsville with flooding at 81. Boise is also pier side 10 34(34) 00 00. She is ready to resume her voyage southwards.


September 27

SS Amberjack attacks DD Akizuki near Truk.

Dauntless bomb ground troops on Tassafaronga.

The enemy has some kind of a carrier operating near Milne Bay and launches 2 Kate escorted by 6 Zero against a TF of destroyers on course for PM. They target DD Farragut without success.


September 28

Things become a lot more clear this turn. A pre-invasion bombardment of Milne Bay by a variety of Japanese CLs, DDs and PCs heralds an invasion looming for the forces based here. Of all the places the enemy could choose to attack this is the one with the best prospect of success as the base is defended by 7th Australian Brigade (an uninspiring exp 45 and morale 42) plus 101st RAAF Base Force and the under strength 124th USAAF Base Force. This gives an AV of 143 behind forts at level 3. Supply could be better but will do for the time being… Currently 1595 at turn end with 1291 required.

SS Sailfish stirs up a bunch of Japanese destroyers south of Rabaul.

Carrier launched Kate (2) escorted by 17 Zero visit PM and do battle with 10 Kittyhawk and 24 Airacobra. 3 Zero destroyed and 1 Kate. A second raid comes in comprised of 2 Kate and 7 Zero against 9 Kittyhawk and 15 Airacobra. 1 Kate is destroyed. The small number of attack planes is curious….. Must be one of the CVLs or possibly a CVE launching.

The Allied bombardment attack at Milne Bay reports that the Japanese have brought Kure 3rd and 5th SNLF plus 4th, 8th, 14th and 82nd Naval Guard Units to the party with an AV of 235 during the bombardment attack.

So the game is afoot. My carriers, as I predicted, are stranded at Noumea. I have surface units at PM and orders are sent out to send them into the fray.

September 29

The landings continue at Milne Bay.

The Allied warships based at PM respond. Three light cruisers, Helena, Achilles and Leander and their destroyer escorts, Gregory, Hutchins, Duncan, Case and Dewey run straight into an enemy force set upon bombarding Milne Bay. A mighty force they have chanced upon with none less than Yamato and Mutsu plus cruisers Maya, Myoko, Haguro and Oi plus a screen of 6 destroyers. It is hard going against these Japanese giants; 2 hits on Mutsu, 6 on Yamato but most, if not all, bounce off their thick belt armour. Maya is hit by 2 shells with one lancing through the control centre. The destroyers take some hits too. Fabuki 1 hit, Shirayuki 1 hit on fire, Hatsuyuki 3 hits on fire, Murakumo 2 hits on fire, Uranami 5 hits heavy fires and Shikinami 1 hit.

The Allied TF is treated very roughly. Tonight Yamato is on song and all 3 CLs are clobbered by her awesome shells. Leander 12 hits and sinks, Achilles 9 hits heavy fires, Helena 20 hits and 1 torpedo and sinks, Hutchins 1 hit, Duncan 1 torpedo from Hatsuyuki and she is sunk, Case 1 hit on fire and Dewey 3 hits on fire.

After seeing off the Allied force the Japanese go onto complete their bombardment mission causing 163 casualties (2 squads and 4 non combat squads destroyed), airbase hits 4, airbase supply hits 4, runway hits 11, port hits 8 and port supply hits 2.

SS RO-67 pops up amongst the allied destroyers and receives 1 hit for doing so.

Screen shot because you don’t get to see Yamato in action too often. She gets the credit for sinking Helena and Leander.

It is daytime at Milne Bay and the Japanese fleet is busy disgorging troops and supplies for the assault on Milne Bay. That is until they are rudely surprised by CA Chicago and destroyers Perkins, Selfridge, Farragut, MacDonough, Arunta and Warrramunga.

A cut and paste from the action reports is the quickest way to tell the story.

Day Time Surface Combat, near Milne Bay at 101,133, Range 26,000 Yards

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
E7K2 Alf: 1 destroyed

Japanese Ships
CL Kashima, Shell hits 50, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL Kashii, Shell hits 34, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Kagero, Shell hits 4, on fire
DD Yugure, Shell hits 7, heavy fires
DD Ariake, Shell hits 14, and is sunk
DMS W.20
DMS W.21, Shell hits 2
PC Ch 5, Shell hits 3, and is sunk
PC Ch 6, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
PC Ch 18, Shell hits 4, on fire
xAK Sagami Maru, Shell hits 9, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Sakura Maru, Shell hits 2, heavy fires
AMC Akagi Maru, Shell hits 18, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Kano Maru, Shell hits 5, heavy fires
xAK Keiyo Maru, Shell hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Tatumiya Maru
xAK Toa Maru, Shell hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Yodogawa Maru, Shell hits 2, heavy fires
AMC Nosiro Maru, Shell hits 14, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Nissyu Maru, Shell hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Nitisan Maru, Shell hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Yamahagi Maru, Shell hits 8, and is sunk
xAK Takaoka Maru, Shell hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Tatuno Maru, Shell hits 10, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Yasukawa Maru, Shell hits 1, on fire
xAK Venice Maru, Shell hits 7, and is sunk
xAK Meiyo Maru, Shell hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Tangyang Maru, Shell hits 11, heavy fires, heavy damage

Allied Ships
CA Chicago, Shell hits 7
DD Perkins
DD Selfridge
DD Farragut
DD MacDonough, Shell hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
DD Arunta, Shell hits 5, heavy fires
DD Warramunga

Japanese ground losses:
107 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 24 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Surprise was complete and the Allied warships were brutal in the execution of their orders. A battle is the wrong word to describe what happened here. It is carnage.

What happened to the Japanese covering forces? They failed to cover the transports and for that the transports paid dearly.

Todd is not happy with Tanaka!

Nice intercept!

Not much in the way of troops on board, so they must be off-loaded. They will be short on supply though, so if you
can reinforce before they get some in you can hold him for a while! [:)]

Punch and counterpunch there. Very cool.

Thanks gentlemen. I had ships available to counter and didn't think it would be a good idea to sit back and await the carriers so in they went. A spectacular result.

Final part to this day of action.

SS Triton finds the Japanese bombardment TF retiring to Rabaul and fires at DD Hatsuyuki and misses.

10 B-17 escorted by 3 Kittyhawk bomb Kure 3rd SNLF at Milne Bay. They have to fight their way through 27 A6M2 and lose 1 Kittyhawk for 2 Zero. The bombers report 51 casualties (4 combat squads disabled). 3 lone B-17 turn up late and bomb without effect.

The Japanese carriers locate the destroyers leaving the field of battle and score a bomb hit on Case and Dewey.

The damaged Chicago is also set upon by 18 Val and she has to endure 3 bombs coming onboard.

The Allied ground troops bombard at Milne Bay causing 21 Japanese casualties.

To finish here is a round up of the damage status of my combatants.

Achilles. 46 32(11) 08(01) 00. Impressive after standing up to Yamato and company.
Dewey. 22 38(16) 08 00
Case. 22 66(42) 05 00
MacDonough. 35 64(35) 21(08) 00
Arunta. 40 34(08) 12 00
Chicago. 40 20(03) 08 01

September 30

After the trauma of the previous day Japanese ships continue to unload at Milne Bay.

SS I-10 locates another surface action TF on the way to Milne Bay and shoots at CL Hobart and misses.

This surface action TF made up of CA Australia, Hobart and 3 destroyers finds DMS W21 and she is dispatched with 2 shells hits and 1 torpedo. The group continues on and locates DD Kagero, DMS W20, and xAKs Sakura Maru, Tatumiya Maru and Yasukawa Maru. To a ship they are all sunk without a single hit on the Allied force. The Japanese also suffer 452 casualties (4combat and 46 non combat squads destroyed). This Allied TF was very lucky… Yamaguchi was lurking with all 4 Kongos supported by those excellent cruisers and destroyers but they were a no show… for sure a certain Japanese victory if they did. In any event another big day out for the Allied warships.

SS Albacore locates and puts 1 torpedo into PB Kenkon Maru.

SS Triton launched on DD Akigumo, misses, and takes 1 hit from the ASW.

SS S-40 puts 1 torpedo into xAK Kano Maru near Woodlark Island.

The Japanese go for a deliberate attack at Milne Bay. Raw AV sees 265 against 139. After the adjustment come into play, including forts 3, it is 10 against 269 (odds of 1 to 26). The Japanese suffer 209 casualties (17 combat squads disabled) to 42 Allied casualties. I’m very pleased with this result and it again shows how difficult it is to get a good Japanese landing at this time of the war.

We have pulled up stumps on this game. Todd is out of a decent aerial punch for his carriers and his lift capacity is totally whacked. It has been a good game.

We have moved onto the 1000 mile war scenario.

Please let me know if you would like to see a continuation of the AAR for this scenario.

Very interesting AAR - you showed how either side can get in a very good punch if they dare to be at the right place at the right time.

I would love to see such risk-taking play in the 1000 mile war scenario.

Why thank you. Risk taking is fun when it pays off. These scenarios are such that if you want to get somewhere you have to be prepared to take some risks and accept the rewards or disasters which ever way they come.

Ok then I shall carry on with the AAR and as I am playing the Japanese side again there will no doubt be some risky business going on. Not sure yet how I'm meant to hang onto Attu and Kiska but the first turn is away and as it is only an 8 week scenario things should happen fairly quickly.

Very fun stuff, SJ. IMHO the IJN surface cover task force was not optimized under "Nemo's rules" - it was too large and mixed varying speeds and main gun ranges. Three or four smaller TFs with similar classed ships would have done better as surely one of them, probably two, gets the intercept. Make sure all surface TFs follow Mr. Nemo for better results. For example, your TFs were much closer to a good composition, whether by luck or design I don't know.

Design for this one. I had a couple of TFs at PM and gave a bit of thought to how they should be recomposed for their visitation to Milne Bay and decided that the CLs should stay together and Chicago would have to go it alone with her destroyer escort. Worked a treat in the end and the CLs put up a brave show against all that heavy metal coming their way. I've read Nemo's rules and I'm sure I've managed to keep some of his work inside my brain. Must have worked as I was conscious of keeping classes of warship together when composing those TFs.

Attu and Kiska

Several turns have past on by but little to report. I think I replaced nearly every sub commander with a commander who had far better naval qualities and was generally more aggressive. It cost some PP points but I doubt lack of PP will be a problem in this scenario.

I don’t think there is much I can do to hold onto Kiska other than hope that the defenders can hold out for as long a time as they can. Forts are ordered to be built up from level 2 to 3 but I doubt this will be achieved before the Allies arrive. Kind of placing all my eggs in one basket but Attu is the island I want to hang onto. 5th JNAF AF Unit is on the way so both fighter units can be stationed there. Not much to protect the convoy especially if the Allied cruisers make an early appearance.

The Liberators have started the bombing of Kiska and so it begins.


April 18 1943

20 Liberator bomb Kiska. Airbase hits 2 and runway hits 1. Followed by 8 Liberator and runway hits 2. No damage to the base and forts at 10%... Such a long way to go until completion and no time to finish them.

TF sighted at Adak (5 ships reported). 5th JNAF AF Unit has arrived at Attu and will start unloading overnight. There is about 3000 supply to get off as well. This could go well if I’m left alone or we shall soon see ships and equipment strewn across the seas at Attu.

April 19

23 Liberator bomb Kiska for runway hits 2. No damage to the base.

The AF unit is on the ground at Attu and only 939 supply to get off the ships. Forts are at 25% and I can fly in the Zeros now.

April 20

The Liberators are improving very quickly.

14 bomb Kiska for airbase hits 1, airbase supply hits 1 and runway hits 10. 6 more come in and score airbase hits 1, airbase supply hits 1 and runway hits 1. 1 bomber is claimed by flak but the base is left with AF Service Damage 10 and runway damage 01. Time to fly out the Rufes (which have been hitting heavy flak over Adak) and try out the fighters for a bit and see if they can’t shake up the bombers now and then.

April 21

Submarine success. On the previous turn I noted a TF tracking toward Adak right near a host of Japanese subs. New orders for all available sea devils to congregate in the vicinity of Adak. SS I-24 finds CA Louisville and strikes with 2 torpedoes (heavy damage). She keeps sniffing around and fires on DD Gansevoort for a miss and 1 hit in return. A determined captain this one as he lines up again on the stricken Louisville and this time 4 torpedoes strike home (including reports of a massive explosion)…. 1 hit in retaliation to leave her at 08 00 00 00 and out of torpedoes and back to home base for re supply….. Hang on a minute. This sub has SSX Ha-28 tethered to her and she is enroute to a position off of Dutch Harbour. Better let her finish that little operation first.

18 Liberators find 6 Oscar and 9 A6M2 Zero waiting for them. Combat report has 1 bomber shot down but intel puts it at 3. 1 Zero pilot and 1 Oscar pilot get credit for a bomber each so something went right in the skies above Kiska. Another bomber is claimed by flak. 1 airbase supply hit from this raid. No new damage and all previous damage has been repaired.

Well that should have shaken things up a bit… What reaction should I expect!

Man that sub skipper was aggressive. All those attacks while on a mini sub carrier mission!

In this scenario I found that the most useful IJN ships are the 4 APDs. Most of the troops you want to move early one will fit in them in one or two trips and the fast transport mission really cuts down on the risk.

It was an impressive effort... sadly the midget mission came to naught.

April 22

And the response comes in the form of 16 P-38G Lightnings sweeping Kiska. A CAP of 9 Zero and 7 Oscar meet the, 4 Zero destroyed and 1 Oscar destroyed for 1 Lightning destroyed.

2 late P-38s take on 3 Oscar and destroy 1.

Intel is a sorrier picture reporting 6 Zero and 3 Oscar lost in aerial combat for 1 P-38. 5 pilots reported KIA. This twin tailed devil is going to be a nightmare to confront.


April 23

Nothing to report other than moving subs around to try and deal with these allied ships.


April 24

SS I-21, near Adak, attacks DD Bancroft and misses as does the ASW response.

More supply about to come ashore at Attu and forts here are now at 61% on the way to 3.

43rd Engineer Battalion is onboard ships and about to leave Paramushiro- jima bound for Attu….. Would be good to get them to Kiska to help with fort building but that would probably be throwing them away.


April 25

The Allies try some bombardment at Kiska.

SSX Ha-32 got the first shot in a launches 2 torpedoes at DD Bancroft but misses. The midget also escapes.

SS I-36 wanders into the shallows of Kiska and is attacked by the Allied destroyers. Fortunately DD Frazier quickly runs out of ammo from her previous days sub hunting. 2 hits on I-36 for damage of 06 00 00 00 and she will be going back for repair so that I will be able to keep her in the fight.

The bombardment is carried out by CA Indianapolis and CL Santa Fe and obtains 105 casualties (no squads destroyed 10 squads of all types disabled), airbase supply hits 2, runway hits 5 and port hits 4. By morning all damage has been repaired. Supply is at 4489 so I’ve lost some and will start doing fast transport runs from Attu to redress this… Trick is to avoid Allied surface TFs when I am doing this.

11 Lightnings visit Kiska and meet 7 Oscar. 1 Oscar lost. 2 straggler Lightnings meet 2 Oscar and another Oscar reported lost. Intel reports 3 Oscar lost on A to A and 1 Lightning lost too.

96th Ind Mixed Brigade has arrived at Para. My only reinforcement on the ground. When the ships return I guess she will be bound for Attu under the cover of a couple of heavy cruisers… They arrive in a couple of days.


April 26

The Liberators (15) are back. I have 12 zero on hand to meet them. We trade 1 for 1, although Intel reports suggest 2 bombers shot down. 1 Rufe destroyed on the ground plus runway hits 4 and airbase hits 4. AF Service damage is 03 and supply now at 4369. Forts are progressing slowly now at 26%.


April 27

12 Mitchell bombers visit Kiska today. 6 Zero make up the greeting party. The Mitchell's do better against the Zeros than the Liberators and they break through without loosing numbers to bomb the port – port hits 1 and port fuel hits 1. SSX Ha-32 which is docked is hit by a single bomb. Massive damage, of course 46 75(28) 11(03) 00. Just have to leave it there to soak up some more bombs. Port damage at the end of the day is only 2 so all good here for the time being but it is stopping the building of the forts.

A second Mitchell raid (12 bombers) meets 1 Zero. 1 bomber destroyed and port hits 1 and port fuel hits 1.

The Zeros are spent for the day so the sweep by 18 Warhawk meets no opposition.

This attrition is not good so a priority now is to get supply at Attu above 20 000 so some replacement aircraft can turn up.


April 28

Nil to report today.


April 29

SS Narwhal pops up at Attu and launches 4 torpedoes at xAK Awazisan Maru. Thankfully the Americans are still using dud torpedoes.

Forts at Attu go to level 3.

April 30

Not too much happening other than SS I-34 launching 6 torpedoes against DD Monaghan near Dutch Harbour and getting 3 hits!

I have 2 subs and 1 midget at Para undergoing repair. I-36 will be back in service in 1 day and I-24 in a week.

There has been little air activity over Kiska and I expect an invasion preceded by an all out air offensive is not far away.


May 1

No action to report.


May 2

No action to report.


May 3

An Allied sub has slipped mines into Attu and the latest arriving convoy finds the field with E Hachijo hitting one and sinking.

SS S-33 shoots at DD shirakumo as the convoy approaches Attu and the destroyers avoid the dangerous fish.

At Kiska 15 Lightning play with 11 Zero. 2 Zero lost for 1 Lightning. They are followed at regular interval by individual groups of bombers. 8 Ventura – 1 lost to flak and another to the fighters with 2 port hits achieved. 11 Liberator – 1 shot down and no land damage. 7 Liberator and no damage (all Liberators bombing from 15000 though). 16 Mitchell – SS Ha-32 sucks up 2 bombs and is sunk. On the ground 5 casualties and port hits 3. At the end of the turn port damage is at 4 and forts are at 44% on their way to 3… Still too far away to be useful when the Allies land.


May 4

All the action is in the air over Kiska.

11 Zero against 3 Ventura. After action report has 1 bomber shot down but intel is showing 3 downed.

10 Zero against 4 Liberator. We trade one apiece. CL Abukuma is targeted from 15000’ and she evades.

4 Zero against 6 Liberator. No losses and CA Maya is targeted from very high and evades.

3 Zero against 6 Liberator. No reported losses and DD Hatsushima is the target and evades.

16 Warhawk do a sweep against 3 Zero and shot down 1 Zero.

Now that Todd knows my cruisers are at Kiska time to move them out before the B-24s show up.

Adak has the port built up to level 3.


May 5

Nil to report. Todd has gone quiet before his invasion.

May 6

Quiet.


May 7

More quiet.


May 8

12 lightning sweep Kiska against 7 Zero. 1 zero downed.

AF at Attu expands to level 2.

Something is afoot. Warships are sighted south west of Dutch Harbour. Battleships and cruisers reported in the TFs. No sign of transports… They will at sea somewhere.


May 9

3 Betty take on 6 Lightning and 9 Warhawk at Adak and never get to sniff out the warships reported to be there. I pull back the Betty range as I want them attacking ships not CAPed ships near a base protected by fighters.

Fort building at Kiska has reached a tantalising 70%. The Allies are on the way and I still believe they will get here before the forts move on up to level 3.


May 10

Nothing to report.


May 11

Nothing to report.


May 12

Again not much happening. I loose SSX Ha-28 to a mine as she attempts to penetrate Dutch Harbour.


May 13

For several days now Todd has had several TFs to the south of Adak Island. They have been sailing westward at an agonisingly slow place. So slowly that I have anticipated that they would be further than they turned out to be and my subs have failed to make any intercepts.

Tonight would be different.

SS I-7 starts proceedings with a launch of 6 fish at CVE Nasau. They all miss and she takes 1 hit from the escort. She hangs around and the escort finds her but don’t register a hit. A little more hanging around and now she lines up on CA Indianapolis. Another 6 fish away and this time 1 strikes home and there are reports of fires and heavy damage. 5 hits suffered by way of retribution.

SS I-21 takes over and launches 6 against CVE Nasau and is rewarded with 1 hit and reports of the Escort Carrier on fire and suffering heavy damage. The surface escorts report 5 hits on the sub.

SS I-36 chimes in and from a launch of 6 scores 2 hits and a dud on CA Indianapolis. 1 penetrating hit in response.

Indianapolis is a goner and her planes are on the aerial ground loss list. I don’t mind if Nasau escapes… I expect she has some reasonably significant damage and I wonder if Todd is prepared to further risk his only carrier asset for this scenario.

My scouts haven’t reported any transports and I am keen to find their location. The American battleships are also missing in action. Indianapolis was reported to be accompanied by CA Wichita and San Francisco plus CL Santa Fe.

The slow advance of the enemy fleets means that the forts at Kiska are likely to make the jump to 3. They are now sitting at 93% and are a good chance of going up in the next turn as they have been progressing around 6 or 7 each day lately.

As for my subs they did take damage. I-7 is at 15 04 00 00. I-21 is at 18 07 00 00 and I-36 is at 14 25(12) 10(7) 00. Very satisfactory with only one of the subs suffering any major damage.

18 Lightning scoot over Kiska but I have withdrawn the fighters so they have no pickings today.

Hitting Nassau like that is very critical. Tough to have good LBA LRCAP to cover a landing in this scenario and Nassau is all the Allies get.