Thread: PBEM Battle Stories

[denisonh]

Here is a massive surface battle at Irau in a PBEM game that is still ongoing.

It was a bad turn in that I was losing my expedition to Irau, but my opponent was covering the area with CVs.

So I slipped 2 US cruiser based surface TFs under Scott and Callghan to wreak havoc, which they did.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 07/14/42

Night Time Surface Combat, near Irau at 42,43

Japanese Ships
CA Tone, Shell hits 4, on fire
CA Chikuma
CA Maya, Shell hits 1
CA Chokai, Shell hits 13
CL Naka, Shell hits 1
CL Nagara, Shell hits 3
CL Tenryu, Shell hits 3
DD Urakaze
DD Arashi, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Kikuzuki, Shell hits 3, on fire

Allied Ships
CA Northampton, Shell hits 1
CA Louisville, Shell hits 3
CL Phoenix, Shell hits 5, on fire, heavy damage
CL Honolulu, Shell hits 2
DD Meredith, Shell hits 1
DD Ralph Talbot, Shell hits 1
DD Henley
DD Patterson, Shell hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Porter, Shell hits 4, heavy damage
DD Selfridge, Shell hits 1


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Night Time Surface Combat, near Irau at 42,43

Japanese Ships
CL Kuma, Shell hits 16, on fire, heavy damage
DD Yayoi, Shell hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Uzuki, Shell hits 11, on fire, heavy damage
DD Minazuki, Shell hits 28, and is sunk
DD Namikaze
APD 35
AP Hokko Maru
AP Kaiko Maru
AP Kamoi Maru
AP Katsuragisan Maru

Allied Ships
CA Northampton, Shell hits 1
CA Louisville, Shell hits 4
CL Phoenix, on fire, heavy damage
CL Honolulu, Shell hits 3
DD Meredith, Shell hits 1
DD Ralph Talbot
DD Henley
DD Patterson, Shell hits 7, and is sunk
DD Porter, on fire, heavy damage
DD Selfridge


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Night Time Surface Combat at 0,0

Japanese Ships
AP Azumasan Maru, Shell hits 14, and is sunk

Allied Ships
CA Indianapolis
CA Pensacola
CA Salt Lake City
CA Vincennes
CL Leander
CL Nashville
DD Bagley
DD Helm
DD Mugford
DD Jarvis


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Night Time Surface Combat, near Irau at 42,43

Japanese Ships
AV Kimikawa Maru
CL Tama, Shell hits 38, and is sunk
DD Hagikaze, Shell hits 13, and is sunk
DD Yamagumo, Shell hits 10, and is sunk
DD Akatsuki, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
AP Chowa Maru
AP Heiyo Maru, Shell hits 26, on fire, heavy damage
AP Kashiwa Maru
AP Kembu Maru
AP Shinkoku Maru

Allied Ships
CA Indianapolis, Shell hits 3
CA Pensacola, Shell hits 1
CA Salt Lake City, Shell hits 4
CA Vincennes
CL Leander
CL Nashville
DD Bagley
DD Helm
DD Mugford
DD Jarvis

Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 154


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Night Time Surface Combat, near Irau at 42,43

Japanese Ships
AV Kimikawa Maru, Shell hits 25, and is sunk
AP Chowa Maru
AP Heiyo Maru, and is sunk
AP Kashiwa Maru, Shell hits 8, on fire, heavy damage
AP Kembu Maru
AP Shinkoku Maru, Shell hits 6, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
CA Indianapolis, Shell hits 2
CA Pensacola
CA Salt Lake City, Shell hits 5
CA Vincennes, Shell hits 2
CL Leander
CL Nashville
DD Bagley
DD Helm
DD Mugford
DD Jarvis

Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 86


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Night Time Surface Combat, near Irau at 42,43

Japanese Ships
CV Kaga, Shell hits 2
CV Soryu, Shell hits 4, on fire
CV Junyo
CVL Ryujo
CS Nisshin
DD Yudachi, Shell hits 12, on fire, heavy damage
DD Samidare, Shell hits 1
DD Wakaba, Shell hits 6, on fire, heavy damage
DD Shirakumo, Shell hits 4, on fire
DD Murakumo, Shell hits 2

Allied Ships
CA Indianapolis
CA Pensacola, Shell hits 4
CA Salt Lake City, Shell hits 1
CA Vincennes, Shell hits 1
CL Leander, Shell hits 1
CL Nashville
DD Bagley, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Helm, Shell hits 1
DD Mugford
DD Jarvis, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage


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Night Time Surface Combat, near Irau at 42,43

Japanese Ships
CV Kaga, Shell hits 2
CV Soryu, Shell hits 32, and is sunk
CV Junyo
CVL Ryujo
CS Nisshin
DD Yudachi, and is sunk
DD Samidare, Shell hits 48, and is sunk
DD Wakaba, and is sunk
DD Shirakumo, Shell hits 18, and is sunk
DD Murakumo, Shell hits 22, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
CA Northampton, Shell hits 1
CA Louisville
CL Phoenix, on fire, heavy damage
CL Honolulu
DD Meredith, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Ralph Talbot
DD Henley
DD Porter, on fire, heavy damage
DD Selfridge, Shell hits 4, on fire, heavy damage


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Air attack on Lae , at 9,33

Japanese aircraft

Allied aircraft
Beaufort x 15
P-400 Airacobra x 45
P-39D Airacobra x 48
P-40E Kittyhawk x 21
B-26B Marauder x 30

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 1 destroyed
A6M2 Zero x 1 damaged


Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 243

Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 20
Port hits 2
Port fuel hits 2
Port supply hits 1

Attacking Level Bombers:
9 x B-26B Marauder at 6000 feet
3 x B-26B Marauder at 6000 feet
12 x B-26B Marauder at 6000 feet
12 x Beaufort at 6000 feet
3 x B-26B Marauder at 6000 feet
3 x B-26B Marauder at 6000 feet
3 x Beaufort at 6000 feet

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Ground combat at Irau

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 20634 troops, 214 guns, 34 vehicles

Defending force 3554 troops, 39 guns, 0 vehicles

Japanese assault odds: 5 to 1 (fort level 0)


Japanese ground losses:
Men lost 54

Allied ground losses:
Men lost 4513
Guns lost 41


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[Raverdave]

Hey that is a fan-bloody-tasic result for the Allies in a night time surface battle ! Even more so when you look at the date 14/7/42! Those of you whom have been on the receiving end of IJN night attacks will know what I am talking about.

[denisonh]

I think that leadership makes a significant diference. Particarly if you use TF commanders with higher surface combat ratings.

And aggressive skippers will press the attack more, and continue to attempt to engage while they still have ammo.