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I concur. In the long run the Suva op may yield a perverse strategic benefit by leading the enemy to believe his strategy is sound. Overconfidence can be deadly.

June 3, 1942 – June 7, 1942

Carrier battles. They don’t happen very often. Even in a violently contested game there will only be a handful of them in several years of war. But they are the most exciting actions in the game, and always significant, sometimes game-changing. Certainly for many players they are the most psychologically significant. On 7 June the first carrier battle of this war erupted, with action and carnage aplenty.

Pacific: The Battle of Canton Island. Kido Butai, as previously described, had passed just north of the Marshall Islands and then set course to the southeast, hoping to prey upon Allied forces shuttling between Pearl Harbor and the Gilberts. My carriers passed 4 June without seeing any Allied ships. On 5 June, however, as they moved further into Allied waters, they found and destroyed an Allied task force.

This task force consisted of DD Dale, four APs (Harris, Wharton, U.S. Grant, and Tasker H. Bliss) and two AKs. A nice prize. My carriers continued on to the southeast on 6 June without finding any enemy ships. They were, however, shadowed by Allied recon. I ordered a course change to the southwest for 7 June, intending for my carriers to loop back south of the Gilberts and then return home.

Morning found Kido Butai passing between Baker and Canton Islands. Allied carriers were spotted three hexes due southwest, with Allied transport TFs scattered about nearby. Both sides launched planes.

My best guess is that four Allied carriers were present, very likely Lexinton, Saratoga, Enterprise, and Wasp. I had all six CVs, of course. The Japanese strike went in first:


[font="Courier New"]Morning Air attack on TF, near Canton Island at 151,141

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 160 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 60 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 58
B5N2 Kate x 119
D3A1 Val x 73

Allied aircraft
F2A-3 Buffalo x 6
F4F-3 Wildcat x 32

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 6 destroyed, 26 damaged
D3A1 Val: 2 destroyed, 22 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F2A-3 Buffalo: 1 destroyed
F4F-3 Wildcat: 4 destroyed

Allied Ships
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
CV Lexington, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Indianapolis, Torpedo hits 3, heavy damage
CL Helena, Bomb hits 4, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Chicago
CA Portland, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
DD Van Ghent
DD Lawrence
CL Honolulu, Bomb hits 1
CL Phoenix, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Piet Hein
DD Vendetta
DD Tenedos[/font]


This was not bad, though my planes showed a distressing tendency to ignore the Allied carriers in preference for attacking lesser targers. The Allied counter-strike met a distressingly low number of Zeros on CAP and hit hard:

[font="Courier New"]Morning Air attack on TF, near Canton Island at 153,138

Weather in hex: Light cloud

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

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 35

Allied aircraft
F2A-3 Buffalo x 5
F4F-3 Wildcat x 31
SBD-2 Dauntless x 28
SBD-3 Dauntless x 36
TBD-1 Devastator x 30

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
F2A-3 Buffalo: 2 destroyed
F4F-3 Wildcat: 10 destroyed
SBD-2 Dauntless: 1 destroyed
SBD-3 Dauntless: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged
TBD-1 Devastator: 2 destroyed, 5 damaged

Japanese Ships
CV Zuikaku, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
CV Soryu, Bomb hits 3, on fire
CV Shokaku, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires
CL Abukuma, Bomb hits 1, on fire
BB Kirishima, Bomb hits 5, on fire
CA Furutaka
CA Chikuma, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Isokaze
DD Urakaze[/font]


No torpedo hits (I only saw one torpedo actually strike its target, and it was a dud). Still, good work by the Allied dive bombers.

The second Japanese attack did a lot of damage – to a nearby Allied transport TF.


[font="Courier New"]Morning Air attack on TF, near Canton Island at 152,141

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid spotted at 25 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Japanese aircraft
B5N2 Kate x 16
D3A1 Val x 16

Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 2 damaged

Allied Ships
xAK Steel Navigator, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk
AP American Legion, Torpedo hits 1
xAK President Quezon, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Admiral Williams, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
AP Thomas Jefferson, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 2, on fire
AP Crescent City, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Rangatira, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage[/font]


Now, I’m as big a fan of sinking enemy shipping as anyone, but I really don’t think these guys were the primary target at the moment. But my guys weren’t done. There was another transport TF nearby:


[font="Courier New"]Morning Air attack on TF, near Canton Island at 151,139

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid spotted at 31 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 10
D3A1 Val x 23

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 2 damaged

Allied Ships
xAK San Angelo, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DMS Perry, Bomb hits 3, and is sunk
DMS Lamberton, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Maine, Bomb hits 7, and is sunk[/font]


So much for them. We move on to the PM phase, which Japan opens by deciding, oh, why not, let’s go after that pesky enemy carrier force again:


[font="Courier New"]Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Canton Island at 151,141

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 51 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 42
B5N2 Kate x 50
D3A1 Val x 55

Allied aircraft
F2A-3 Buffalo x 2
F4F-3 Wildcat x 12


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 2 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed, 14 damaged
D3A1 Val: 2 destroyed, 24 damaged

Allied aircraft losses

Allied Ships
CA Indianapolis, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 2, on fire
CA Chicago, Bomb hits 3, on fire
CA Portland, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
DD Vendetta
DD Lawrence
DD Tenedos, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Dewey, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
CV Lexington, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL Honolulu, Bomb hits 1
CL Phoenix
DD Piet Hein, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Van Ghent
CL Helena, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk[/font]


The Allies respond by launching two small strikes. The first is butchered but the second one breaks through and does heavy damage to Kaga:


[font="Courier New"]Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Canton Island at 153,138

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 40 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 20

Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 3
SBD-3 Dauntless x 11

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
SBD-3 Dauntless: 5 damaged

Japanese Ships
CV Akagi
BB Hiei
CV Kaga, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Murakumo[/font]


Japanese planes launch a pair of small strikes against what is left of enemy shipping in the area, sinking DMS Lambertson and AP Crescent City. And with that the day’s combat comes to an end.

Losses: On the Japanese side CV Shokaku and CA Chikuma are both sunk. Zuikaku and Kaga both have a lot of system damage and fires in the 40s and these carriers are in peril as well.

The Allies seem certain to lose Lexington. I’m not sure about Saratoga but I doubt it. Confirmed losses are CAs Portland and Indianapolis, CL Helena, and DDs Dewey and Piet Hein. Oh, and two DMS and three xAKs. DD Tenedos is almost certainly sunk, as are another two xAKs and four APs. Not that the little guys matter a lot under the circumstances.

Japan loses 30 planes in air-to-air and to flak; Allied losses are closer to 70. But Japan loses 125 planes on sunk or damaged carriers; carrier pilot losses on the day are about 50, which is acceptable. Allied carrier planes destroyed “on deck” are listed at 15.

Analysis: This battle could go either way, depending on what sinks. If it turns out to be a swap of Lexington for Shokaku I would call it a Japanese victory because of the Allied cruiser and destroyer losses, losses they can ill-afford right now. If, however, I lose Zuikaku or Kaga or both then it clearly becomes an Allied victory.

Either way it could have gone better for me. Japan failed to use its assets to best advantage, frittering away a chance to really pound the Allied fleet by attacking nearby shipping. In this regard the outcome has to be seen as a triumph for the Allies. I am disappointed in the results but carrier battles are always a uncertain thing in AE. When you send your carriers into enemy waters you really have to be prepared to not get all of them home again.

I am not going to entirely discount the eight APs, destroyer, two DMS, two AKs, and five xAKs sunk before and during the battle. Allied shipping losses have been heavy.

Scoreboard: For those who have not been keeping score at home here is what major ship losses look like at this point:

CVs: Japan 1, Allies 1
BBs: Japan 2, Allies 4
CAs: Japan 4, Allies 10
CLs: Japan 1, Allies 8
DDs: Japan 4, Allies 32

Cuttlefish, nice action. I hope your battered carriers make it home.

I have been monitoring carrier battles and it seems there is an advantage in splitting up your TFs but keeping them in the same hex. In my scrap with Arnhem he had 5 carriers in a hex (in 5 TFs) and I only attacked 2 TFs resulting in the loss of 2 allied carriers, a BB and damage on ships ONLY in those 2 TFs (confirmed by Arnhem).

He noticed something similar happening in a Guadalcanal campaign game he fought resulting in the destruction of all remaining Japanese CVs for Hornet..

How was your force organised?

Edit: noticed your first attack was in heavy storms, which is unlucky.... also noticed he struck at Kaga/Akagi second run.. not on your other CVs. I bet those were in a different TF?

ORIGINAL: Cannonfodder

Cuttlefish, nice action. I hope your battered carriers make it home.

I have been monitoring carrier battles and it seems there is an advantage in splitting up your TFs but keeping them in the same hex. In my scrap with Arnhem he had 5 carriers in a hex (in 5 TFs) and I only attacked 2 TFs resulting in the loss of 2 allied carriers, a BB and damage on ships ONLY in those 2 TFs (confirmed by Arnhem).

He noticed something similar happening in a Guadalcanal campaign game he fought resulting in the destruction of all remaining Japanese CVs for Hornet..

How was your force organised?

My carriers were split into two TFs. One had Shokaku, Zuikaku, and Soryu, while the other had Kaga, Akagi, and Hiryu. Each TF also had a battleship and two or three heavy cruisers.

Strike 1

CV Zuikaku, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
CV Soryu, Bomb hits 3, on fire
CV Shokaku, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires

Strike 2

CV Akagi
CV Kaga, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage

Looks bad.. he had weather going for him, and luck that he had TFs nearby that diverted attention from his carriers... At times it seems the Japanese torpedo planes have a thing with DDs. Many attacks on those that miss while you KNOW there are more CVs in the Hex.... War is Hell....

Don't discount the APs. They are a valuable catch, though it would of course be better to get the carriers.

To find out which carriers you are facing, consult the combat report and check on which squadrons are flying CAP against your strikes.

It's been awhile since an update, is everything okay?

ORIGINAL: adm

It's been awhile since an update, is everything okay?

Everything is good. I have been on a long road/camping trip. I will be home soon and will post an update then, as I have managed to get in a few turns while traveling.

The old Witp rule was to keep KB as one TF. I think AE changes that. Multiple TFs to make the strike pick. And have fodder TFs present.

Hello?

Greetings! Cuttlefish here, trying to revive this AAR after a long hiatus. A lot has happened in the game since last I posted. I’ll try to get caught up with as much brevity as possible, though I think it will still take several posts before we are up to date in all theaters.

I apologize for letting things lapse for so long. I went on a long road trip with my 23-year-old son. As we wandered the country in search of America the game continued, albeit fitfully for a while. But I fell out of the habit of updating the AAR. After I returned home other projects kept demanding my attention. I kept telling myself that I’d get back to the AAR tomorrow…next week…soon…

Anyway, I’m back.

The game has turned into a brutal slugfest that, if nothing else, should be rather entertaining. It’s also taken a couple of disappointing twists and turns. But the focus of this AAR is my quest to become a better player, as available evidence suggests that I have yet to master AE. So writing about my defeats has more actual value than writing about my victories.

When we last left the forces of Japan they had just engaged, and gotten the worst of, a carrier battle. As it turned out it was the full Kido Butai, all six carriers, against Saratoga and Lexington. I lost badly; Shokaku, Zuikaku, Kaga and CA Chikuma sunk in exchange for Lexington, Indianapolis, Portland, Helena, and a bunch of transports and destroyers.

From a tactical point of view things looked good going in. KB was rampaging in the Allied shipping lanes and, as it turns out, Charbroiled had no intention of offering battle with just two carriers. He was caught off guard by KB’s sudden move south and in a perfect world would have been soundly punished for leaving his two carriers anywhere in the area.

Yet Japan suffered a serious defeat. Another carrier battle later on (which we will get to in due course) went about the same way: it looked good for Japan on paper but the results were, shall we say, less than optimal. I could complain about bad luck, poor die rolls, or whatever. But it seems more productive to observe that I seem to suck at running carrier battles and to ask what I might be doing wrong.

Here is how I usually set things up. I run my fighter groups at 40% CAP, half of them at 11,000’, half at 15,000’. The Vals are all set on naval attack, height 11,000 feet, 10% search. The Kates are at naval attack, 11,000’. I keep my carriers in groups of three or four, between 150 and 190 planes in each task force, and keep my TFs in the same hex. I pick the best task force commanders I can find with air skill over 70 and aggression in the low 60s. Then I tell my guys to go get ‘em.

It’s worth noting that in both carrier defeats (and in the carrier battle I did win, which we will also get to later) my bombers tended to focus on non-carrier targets. In both of the other carrier battles the Allies lost a battleship which became the main focus of the Kate’s attacks. Also in all three battles my CAP shredded the incoming Wildcats but failed to get through them to shoot down more than a handful of bombers, allowing far too many formations to make their attack runs without being harassed by Zeros. My own bombers get through too but they have a terrible hit percentage when attacking carriers, though they tear apart anything else they attack.

So…any suggestions out there? Are there any obvious flaws in my set-up? I’d appreciate any and all comments as I get busy writing about the five months of the war that we’ve missed.

More search perhaps, and lower alt for the groups doing search. I use Kates for search (20% or 30% at either 7k or 9k) since alt does not alter the way they attack with torpedoes.

Hmm I set my Kates to 8000, its a nice height for search and in case they have to use bombs. 10-20% normaly. Vals on 12000 and also 10-20% on search. Lotsa Jakes (6000) on the other ships too of course. Spoting makes a huge difference in the whole behavior of the carrier TF I think. Whenever possible also within search range of LBA.It might be foolish to attack with Netties at max range but for nav search/asw their range is amazing.

Hi Cuttlefish, I am almost certain that divebombers GLIDEBOMB when set to 11k feet.
 
This is the only height at which they do it. I'll try and find the settings - it's hidden in the forum somewhere. Have been caught with this where I thought it was 11K feet where they DIVE bomb. But of course got it completely wrong. In that case 120 dauntlesses were only able to get 5 hits on all targets. Thankfully 4 of those hits were on the two carriers targeted, and both carriers got fuel explosions, rampaging fires, and were eventually sunk. But the point is, I see no point in glidebombing. If you divebombers get to the target I want them divebombing.
 
No idea about the kates. I usually set torp bombers to 6k and have no problems with them, although no way of making them target the carriers.

13k for all bombers. Either 15k or a mix of altitudes between 13 and 16k for fighters. 50% CAP in hot zones and 40% when travelling areas where enemy carriers theoretically might be encountered. No carrier planes on search if I might expect a serious battle, only Jakes. Carrier aircraft range generally is set to 6 hexes. Two KBs (Yamaguchi and Nagumo) with 1-2 battleships, 2 CAs, (ideally) 1 CS, and 9 DDs each. Inserting battleships as bomber bait didn't work that well so far, though.

Thanks for the comments so far about carrier operations. There doesn't seem to be anything like a consensus yet, though I am intrigued by the possibility that 11,000 might be glide-bombing altitude.

Events in the Pacific

June – October 1942


To very briefly recap: after the Japanese invasion of Suva failed I successfully pulled out all of the units involved and returned them to Truk to rest and regroup. During this time American forces invaded and captured Tabiteuae, Tarawa, and Nauru and Ocean Islands. The carrier battle described above occurred as my forces struck back at these invasion forces. Though I lost three carriers I did inflict heavy damage on the transport task forces involved.

After failing to cut off the Allied effort at the roots I set about pruning some of the branches. Japanese forces invaded Shortlands in early July and by July 21 had captured the base, destroying the bulk of the Australian 4th Division. Japanese forces also recaptured Nauru and Ocean islands, overwhelming the modest forces left to hold the bases.

The Allies resumed the offensive in early August. Australian forces attacked both Milne Bay and Horn Island. Both invasions collapsed and the invasion forces were re-embarked. But Charbroiled is not easily discouraged. Stronger invasion forces soon landed at both Milne Bay and Port Moresby, both of which were held by Japanese garrison units. These are okay units but not able to stand up to an American or Australian division with armor support.

Netties based out of Rabaul and Lae took a toll on the invaders, sinking BC Repulse and a number of transports. But the Allied invasion continued, supported by air power based in Australia, Tagula Island, and Lunga.

I wasn’t willing to lose Port Moresby quite yet, so I loaded up the Japanese 21st Division at Shortlands and sent it around the tip of New Guinea. I protected the transport TF with my remaining carriers and this touched off the second carrier battle of the war on August 28.

This took place right off the southern coast of New Guinea and battle pitted the remaining five Japanese CVs, plus three CVLs, against four American carriers – Wasp, Hornet, Yorktown, and Enterprise. The American carriers reacted to within range of the powerful Japanese air units based at Rabaul, as I hoped, and the situation was ripe for an Allied disaster.

Japanese land-based air struck first. Almost 50 Zeros came in and shredded the Allied CAP. To my disappointment, though, of all but two of the 75 Nells and Bettys in the attack groups were “unable to locate target due to range or weather” or “failed to link up” and returned to base.

The Japanese carrier attack met only 25 Wildcats on CAP, plus half a dozen P-38s out of Tagula. These were brushed aside and my carrier planes proceeded to sink BB West Virginia and CA Houston. They also did heavy damage to California, but I still don’t know whether or not it sank. Carriers Wasp and Hornet both took several bombs and were knocked out but not sunk.

The Allied counter-attack did a lot of damage. I lost Junyo and Hiyo and CVL Zuiho, along with a light cruiser and a destroyer. Battleship Hiei and every remaining Japanese carrier took damage. The only grace note was that the Allied carrier force was pretty much denuded of fighters and had to withdraw, allowing my transports to unload safely at PM and all my surviving ships to withdraw unmolested through the Torres Strait.

So much for this particular Battle of the Coral Sea.

As my carriers limped back around the western end of New Guinea and headed for Japan Allied forces launched an attack at Mili in early September. The first Allied attack ended in disaster. After the first turn of unloading (a US infantry division was doing the invading) a Japanese SCTF built around Yamato and three heavy cruisers showed up and torched the entire invasion convoy, 12 xAPs along with four DDs and a DMS. Troop losses were heavy.

Have I mentioned that Charbroiled is not easily discouraged? Even as Yamato and company neared Truk to rearm a second invasion convoy struck at Mili. No atoll can hold enough troops to stand up to an invasion by a full US division. The fight was bloody but short and Mili fell before my ships could get back.

While this was going on a force of six Japanese destroyers raided Lunga and sank two DDs and eight tankers caught unloading. While retreating from this action in the darkness my force blundered into an American carrier TF based around Yorktown and Enterprise. One Japanese destroyer was lost but the rest bounced a few 5” shells off Enterprise and BB North Carolina, more as a statement of defiance than anything else, I think, and then scuttled off into the darkness and made their way home. A Japanese DD also hit a mine at Lunga and was sunk by LBA in the morning.

After planes from Mili and Tarawa neutralized Japanese air power at Roi-Namur the Allies next captured Maloelap and then invaded Roi-Namur. This touched off the third carrier battle of the war, on October 22.

While the Allies were fighting for control of the air over the Marshalls I was frantically repairing carriers in the Home Islands. Akagi was going to be out for several months but Hiryu, Soryu, Ryujo, and Shoho were ready to go pretty soon. I rushed them to the Marshalls and, counting on the element of surprise, flung them at the modest Allied carrier force covering the Roi-Namur operation. This force proved to consist of Saratoga and two CVEs.

This time Japanese forces came out on top. Sara took two torpedoes and was forced to retire, CVEs Copahee and Long Island were sunk, and BB New Mexico went down as well. Japanese losses were limited to minor damage to Ryujo. Best of all, the Yamato battle group went in and over the next couple of days destroyed both invasion task forces, sinking a dozen ships and inflicting thousands of troop casualties. Despite all this enough troops managed to get ashore before their ships were sunk to capture Roi-Namur.

While all this was going on Yorktown and Enterprise were busy covering the New Guinea operations. Milne Bay fell to the Allies in September. The Allies lost a few ships delivering more troops to Port Moresby but were successful enough that the base fell in late October. Japanese forces from both bases withdrew successfully over the Kokoda Trail to Buna. I lost a heavy cruiser and a pair of light cruisers to Allied LBA trying to intercept Allied forces at Milne Bay.

One last operation should be described, and that is the Allied 4E bomber campaign against Lae and Rabaul from August through October. Charbroiled realized that he needed to neutralize those bases, at least temporarily, if his effort at Port Moresby was to succeed. This touched off a war of attrition between my Zero daitai and his B-17E and B-24D groups. It was kind of fascinating, really. As Japanese fighters wore down and runway and service damage at my bases slowly accumulated fewer and fewer planes were available for defense. But at the same time losses, damage, and fatigue took a steady toll on the attackers. In the end he lost a lot of bombers and the survivors eventually either could not or would not fly. But my bases were pushed to the edge in the meantime and could not support offensive operations.

At the current date, 7 November 1942, my air bases are completely repaired and both are guarded by two (Lae) or three (Rabaul) fully stocked Zero units. I presume that his heavy bomber groups are by now also tanned, rested, and ready.

That’s the situation in the Pacific. As you can see it’s been a pretty busy five months or so. The maps below show where things stand now, which I’ll describe in greater detail soon.

The situation around eastern New Guinea:

The situation in the Gilberts and Marshalls:

Hopefully, you are accelerating Unryus for some months now... in this case your opponent might continue to pay for overaggression in the strategic direction that is the least immediately threatening to Japan. Othwerwise you are likely to face a total collapse in the Pacific and Allies in Marianas before 1944.

You're Alive! Good to see you back upand posting.