Hello All,
The USN, me, had everything planned out, but we all know what happens to plans once the action starts....
Around turn 3-4 I moved my 2 CV TF’s (Enterprise, Saratoga, 2 CA, CLAA, BB, 6 DD – Wasp, CA, CLAA, 6DD) to a location within land based fighter range West of Luganville. There I set all CV fighters on 30% CAP, which I think kept my fatigue down, but also gave my bombers a great escort. From Luganville, where I moved all fighters from Noumea to, I set a rotating LR CAP over the CV’s with 2 covering while 1 rests, and so on. I was hoping Bill would be aggressive and maybe come down past Malita and near Santa Cruz, but if he didn’t then I would be in a perfect position to destroy any kind of amphibious invasion of Guadalcanal. He never made an invasion, which was a smart move because I probably would have gained many points sinking AP’s and escorts. I decided to stay put and when/if opportunity presented itself, I’d pounce. I think Bill’s strategy was the perfect counter. Good job!
That was my strategy for my CV’s, but supplying Lunga turned out to be a complete disaster. First off, I took two CA’s and a DD to Lunga with part of the 1st NZ Def Bn in hopes to strike back at any Bombardment group. (That later had no effect whatsoever, and 4 CRITICAL days were wasted when they could have been transporting supplies.) A funny screw up happened during this time that really sucked. From Noumea I set a 2 CA- 1DD FT TF (I had detached them from the CV’s) to “Pick up Unit” at Luganville and set it’s homebase to Lunga. Well a turn or two later when I checked the TF I had seen its cargo was full, it's heading Lunga, and retirement allowed as it's setting... looks good, next turn. Doh! Homebase was set to Lunga and one CA was damaged (unusable for the rest of the scenario) sitting in Lunga harbor the next day (weather was thunderstorms so I rested the F4’s, but a few p-400’s made it up), the rest made it back thankfully. The 5 inchers they hauled up didn’t even fire a single shot in the whole campaign.
During all this time I was timing Bill’s bombardment runs and would try and slip in supplies with my other detached DD FT’s (which worked a few times.) I set what amounted to be small fuel and supply dumps in a sort of chain running from New Hebrides to Guadalcanal. Later, when the situation was critical, I moved all my AK’s and AP’s filled with supplies and some troops to these locations. At the time these provided “jump points” when making nighttime supply runs with my FT’s, and were a great help when timing my raids giving them a location to loiter.
After wasting my first few critical turns jerkin around, my supply situation became critical. After an air raid on Lunga the engineers repaired some major damage, and have been all along, but this one sent my supplies way too low. So I had to present a state of emergency to my two FT TFs’ and move them out ASAP. Well this had them arriving in Lunga at the same time, and sure enough not only did Bill catch my ONLY two FT TF’s left with a massive bombardment group, it was the same turn he laid his mines in a perfect location (where “Taivu” is written on the map), effectively closing off my escape route! But they made their escape, moving a whole 2 hexes WEST! leaving the wounded as fat juicy targets for his LB AC. I think out of one CA, four DD’s and my APD, only a DD made it back never to be used again.
Finally after having a number of support and combat ships sunk, and Bill in the lead, I felt desperate. I knew if I didn’t use my carriers to attack something, I’d lose not only in points for our game, but had the scenario not come to an end when it did Lunga supplies would have been ZERO! I had to make a bold move into Bills LBA range and hopefully get a shot at his carriers. I struck out the first time around turn 8 landing a few hexes east of Malaita and 1 hex west of a DD probe. My bombers sunk the two DD’s giving me some much needed points.
I spotted Bill’s CV’s some distance NW of me and figured he’d counterattack, so I retreated directly East and met up with my fuel TF. The next turn I gambled that Bill would move towards my direction. (His search planes spotted my CV’s location and I became discouraged as I thought he’d retreat to preserve his lead, which had me doubting my tactic had a chance.) But there was nothing else I could do at this point, so I sent them out directly West from 4-5 hexes above Santa Cruz to a location approximately 10-11 hexes West and a little to the North.
Doubts of my overall strategy and regrets of my previous moves had me dispirited, but I had 2 days left from my position to draw Bill into CV combat. When I received his email he made an encouraging remark, which instantly sent the blood pumping back through my veins! After watching a devastating last ditch bombardment attack of Lunga which produced horrible losses, I knew my forces had to have delt a serious blow. We were about 5-6 hexes apart when my first wave of bombers struck, hitting Shokaku with 2 bomb hits and 1 to Zuikaku. My next wave, with no retaliation, nailed Zuikaku with 4 critical bomb hits and 1 torpedo for good measure. Shokaku got another hit. His counter attack hit the Saratoga with 2 bombs and 3 torpedos. She was hurt bad but she'd live to fight another day.
Needless to say I was quite relieved when I saw this battle unfold, but Bill had managed to gain some ground on points that day too, and I believe I was not ahead by that much, and didn’t feel too comfortable about it. So I took what I thought at the time another big gamble. I decided to go well within Bill’s LBA range to try and pursue his injured CV’s, or anything else I could find. This actually was the hardest decision in the game. I really felt that even a good airstrike on Lunga would tip the balance in his favor, let alone the kind of massive bombardment he had sent that day, so I wanted to act. But I also felt that I could easily drift into an LBA attack with my CV’s, whose pilots have 30-40+ fatigue, handing him not only my CV’s on a platter but the game as well. There was also the decision of deciding where he’d go; Shortland, Rabaul or Truk? Our position now is just north of Santa Isabel. I decided to go more towards Rabaul thinking he’d head for the closest aircover.
I don’t really think my decision on where to go had much of an impact in the end result. His CV’s were limping bad and hadn’t moved but a few hexes. My CV TF, minus 1 Saratoga and a few escorts, were able to get in that final air strike and secure a victory for the USN.
Mistakes were made on both sides and I consider myself lucky having snatched a victory. But more importantly I’ve learned a lot from this first PBEM, especially playing against an honorable and worthy opponent such as Bill. Good game!
Thanks for reading everyone, I hope you enjoyed our first PBEM and AAR!
