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November 8, 1944 (carrier battle)

Location: ?
Course: ?
Attached to: TF 27
Mission: Surface Combat
System Damage: ?
Float Damage: ?
Fires: ?
Fuel: ?

Orders: Engage enemy forces at Iwo Jima

---

The Japanese battle plan hinges on one thing: that the Allied carrier forces will fall for the bait that is being dangled in front of them. That they proceed to do so, promptly and thoroughly, will no doubt be a source of debate among military analysts, historians, and history buffs for many decades to come.

The ten Japanese carriers are grouped in three task forces. In the van are Zuikaku, Taiho, and Unryu. The second group consists of Amagi, Katsuragi, and Ryuho, while in the third are Junyo, Hiyo, and two light carriers.

The Allies have four carrier task forces. The British have one, with three carriers. The Americans have three, each with four Essex-class fleet carriers or Independence-class light carriers. On paper it is a total mismatch., Not only do the Allies have a strong numerical edge in flight decks and planes, they have newer, better fighters. The British carriers are flying Corsairs and the American carriers are equipped with Hellcats. The Japanese, by contrast, rely on the A6M5.

But Yamamoto has a card up his sleeve. On runways around Osaka and Nagoya sit over two hundred twin-engine torpedo bombers, all armed, fueled, and ready. With them are almost as many long-range fighters. This force has been carefully conserved for the past year for just this moment and their pilots are the best Japan still has available. As the sun rises their propellers are already turning, anticipating that targets will soon be in their carefully circumscribed range.

It does not take long for Allied search planes to discover the Japanese carriers. Their reaction is immediate; every carrier group near the island is ordered out to meet this threat. By late morning they have closed to within 200 miles of the Japanese carriers. By this time the Japanese land-based aircraft are already over the coast and well out to sea, heading towards them.

The Allied carriers launch their aircraft, a powerful strike calculated to smash the Japanese carriers once and for all. As soon as they are detected Admiral Ozawa, in command of the carrier forces, knows his mission is accomplished. He orders his carriers to empty their decks with the biggest strike he can muster. All he can do after that is wait for the enemy’s blow to fall.

In their rush towards the enemy the Allied carrier forces have become somewhat spread out. One of the American groups ends up some fifty miles ahead of the others. It is against this group that the Japanese land-based aircraft strikes.

The American CAP sweeps north to meet them. The resulting air battle is savage but the Japanese A6M2 and A6M3 fighters are no match for the powerful Hellcats. With their escorts out of the way the Japanese twin-engine bombers are easy targets. Bomber after bomber is sent down into the ocean in flames; the survivors turn back without launching a single torpedo against the American ships.

As this is going on the Allied attack has found the first group of Japanese carriers. Japanese fighters battle valiantly and account for several dozen enemy planes but there is no way to stop them all. Soon Taiho and Unryu have been sunk and Zuikaku, last proud survivor of the carriers that struck Pearl Harbor nearly three years ago, is burning and doomed. Cruisers Chokai and Mogami are badly hurt but still afloat.

The sacrifice of the Japanese land-based aircraft was not futile, as it turns out; some twenty Hellcats were lost and of the rest some are damaged and most are out of position. As the Japanese carrier planes are detected coming in from the west the American fighters scramble back to intercept them but their efforts are far more disorganized than they were against the previous strike. Over 150 Japanese bombers break through to attack.

Far more damaging than the Hellcats this time is the annihilating enemy flak. Plane after plane is torn apart as they try to get to the enemy ships.. But some get through, and these are the best pilots Japan still has to offer. The enemy ships begin to take damage.

The new Essex-class Hornet is sunk, as is Ticonderoga. Two other carriers are damaged. Battleship Massachusetts takes a torpedo and light cruiser Santa Fe is heavily damaged. The Japanese bait has teeth. If this is the end of Kido Butai at least the Japanese carriers have gone down fighting.

Even as the morning’s carrier duel winds down the Allied carriers begin to pick up the first signals from the ships around Iwo Jima indicating that they are under attack. The Japanese surface forces have arrived.

Battle is joined and we wait with bated breath

Two Essex class sunk! Well done Cuttlefish (I mean Yamamoto)! A great plan well-executed.

And - oh yes - here come the big boys.

I am biting my nails. OMG, i already got to biting my wrists.... [X(]

Cool! So rare to see Essex classes get sunk.

But that wasn't one of the objectives, so we still have to wait and see if the enemy invasion is slowed up enough to prevent the fall of Iwo Jima. The suspense is killing me!!!

Oh good, Cuttlefish is still online.  Hopefully part 2 is in the works. [:D]

The Samurai spirit dies a slow death and takes the enemy with it.  A well executed plan sacrificing forces with the expected heavy loses in return for?  Next few postings by CF will be most interesting.

ORIGINAL: Admiral DadMan

ORIGINAL: Shark7

ORIGINAL: Onime No Kyo

I just hope its not a thrilling narrative of Hibiki's last moments afloat. [X(]

Yeah, "small lifeboat, big war" wouldn't be quite the same. [:(]

Ohhh Shark! You missed a great opportunity!

"Small Lifeboat, Big Shark"!!!!!!!

Yes I did...good catch! [:D]

I sank the Intrepid in my Forlorn Hopes Campaign and LOVED it!

Well done CF!  IThe loss of these CVs plus damage elsewhere may serve to slow the Allies down some.  If you do reasonably well with the surface component then it will be a good fight.  Cannot hope much more then that.

I sank 300+ ships when Roper invaded Sakhalin and Hokkaido and it had no impact!  Totally discouraging...

BANZAI!

November 8, 1944 (northern strike force)

Location: ?
Course: ?
Attached to: TF 27
Mission: Surface Combat
System Damage: ?
Float Damage: ?
Fires: ?
Fuel: ?

Orders: Engage enemy forces at Iwo Jima

---

The Japanese surface forces reach Iwo Jima late in the morning. The three task forces come in roughly in echelon, several miles apart from one another. In the lead and to the north is the Ise/Hyuga group, in the center is a heavy destroyer division consisting of two light cruisers and eight destroyers, and to the south is the Yamato/Musashi group.

The enemy forces left to protect the transports are numerous and powerful but they are not the best and newest ships in the Allied battle line. The new battleships and cruisers are all to the northwest with the carriers.

The approach of the Japanese ships is not detected until it is almost too late. It is not until the distinctive superstructures of the Japanese battleships appear on the horizon that the extent of the danger is realized. When it is, however, the Allied ships move decisively to meet them.

The closest heavy group to the northeast of Iwo Jima is based around battleships California and Oklahoma. Their assigned mission is to provide heavy fire support for the troops ashore; a surface action against an opponent of equal strength was not part of the plan. Nonetheless they move out promptly to intercept the closest of their attackers, which happens to be the northern Japanese force.

The action opens at long range. The two battleships on each side fire ranging shots as the distance closes to 20,000 meters and they continue to fire as they draw closer. The first hit of the battle goes to Oklahoma, which bounces a 14” shell harmlessly off of Ise’s forward turret. A few minutes later Ise retaliates with a more telling hit, a 14” shell directly into Oklahoma’s chart room. But the old battleship’s fire remains undiminished as the opponents close with one another.

When the range closes to 14,000 meters Tanaka, in command of the northern force, orders his ships to change course to the northwest. As this threatens to cross the Allied “T” the American commander orders a similar change a few minutes later. The range continues to close but more slowly and now all ships on both sides join the battle.

As the battle continues to develop the opposing battleships pair off. Ise tangles with California while Hyuga and Oklahoma exchange fire. All four battleships are aging but still far from frail; on the island itself both Japanese and American troops can now clearly hear the booming of their guns as crews on both sides load and fire as rapidly as possible.

Several U.S. destroyers sprint forward to execute a torpedo attack. The torpedoes miss but DD Cassin Young moves in on Hyuga, peppering the much larger ship with repeated 5” hits. Japanese heavy cruiser Nachi turns her guns on this new threat and several accurate 8” broadsides force Cassin Young to sheer off, her crew now battling raging fires.

Hyuga and Oklahoma pound each other with repeated hits. Ise does better; lucky early hits knock out California’s rangefinder and fire control director, forcing the battleship’s turrets to operate on independent control. While this is going on the Japanese destroyers execute a torpedo attack of their own. One hits California near the stern, bringing the battleship to a near halt. Ise moves in, pounding California with relentless and accurate fire. Her opponent is soon nearly helpless and on fire.

Other ships, destroyers and cruisers on both sides, have suffered hits but it soon becomes obvious that with California out of the battle things are turning against the Americans. They break off and try to regroup behind a smoke screen. For his part Tanaka lets them go. These are not the ships he has come to sink. He orders a course change back to the southwest, towards the island.

They do not go far before a new opponent presents itself. This is a surface group consisting of heavy cruisers Shropshire and Canberra, light cruisers Glasgow and Dauntless, and three destroyers. The heavy cruisers fight hard but the odds against them are too long; Canberra takes a torpedo and three 14” shell hits and is knocked out the battle, while Ise finds the range on Shropshire and scores repeated hits.

While this is going on, however, the Japanese suffer their first loss of the day. A 6” shell from Glasgow strikes destroyer Suzuki, causing a fire amidships. The blaze touches off some of the destroyer’s torpedoes and the resulting explosion tears the ship nearly in half. Suzuki sinks a short time later.

At 1220 Ise ceases fire, not out of charity but because main gun ammunition is growing low. It is too late for Shropshire in any event; the order to abandon ship is given soon afterwards.

The northern force, now minus Suzuki, breaks off and once again heads towards the island. Finally, at almost 1300 hours, the Japanese sight the objective they have come to destroy - a group of transports is almost dead ahead. They are already dispersing while their escort comes out to challenge the invaders.

The escort consists of light cruiser Richmond, supported by two destroyers and nine destroyer escorts. Ordinarily Tanaka’s ships would brush this force aside but right now they are like an exhausted runner approaching the finish line. Few of his ships have escaped damage and Hyuga is noticeably limping from her brutal clash with Oklahoma. All torpedoes have been expended and ammunition is growing low.

And the enemy ships fight with fanatical determination to save the transports. Richmond distinguishes herself this day; she fatally torpedoes light cruiser Kinu and her guns pound destroyer Makinami. The destroyer escorts, which have no business being in a fight like this, close in on the Japanese firing with everything they have. Richard M. Rowell puts two torpedoes into destroyer Onami; the Japanese ship goes down stern first less than ten minutes later.

Return fire from the battleships forces Richmond and the two destroyers to break off, damaged but still afloat. Seven of the nine destroyer escorts are crippled or sunk outright, and long-range Japanese fire sinks one transport and damages two others. Several hundred U.S. Marines are killed or injured.

It is little enough damage, but Tanaka has done all he can do. His ships are scattered and out of ammunition. He has lost Kinu and three destroyers and none of the remaining ships are in any condition to continue the fight. He orders his task force to turn back to the northeast, towards Tokyo.

In addition to the damage it has caused Tanaka’s attack has also accomplished something else, though he does not realize it at the time; it has pulled the much of the Allied defense to the north. There may still be a chance for the Japanese attack to succeed.

California sinks the following morning.

Surface action with the battlewagons... compelling stuff! (and rare) someone did their job right to get them in, no matter the end result.

Yaaa BABY!  Break Out the popcorn...

WOW!

2 more TFs on the attack to be accounted for yet.

It's a shame that a surface force with a fire support (bombardment) mission isn't loaded with HE ammo and very little AP as happened in real life.  A battle would turn out much differently that way. 

Those poor DEs, sounds very much like they sold themselves dearly. Bravo again CF[&o]

[:)] Excellent!

November 8, 1944 (center strike force)

Location: ?
Course: ?
Attached to: TF 27
Mission: Surface Combat
System Damage: ?
Float Damage: ?
Fires: ?
Fuel: ?

Orders: Engage enemy forces at Iwo Jima

---

The center of the three Japanese task forces that descend upon Iwo Jima is by far the weakest. It is hoped that while the battleship groups attract all the attention the two light cruisers and eight destroyers can get in among the transports. Against thin-skinned targets their massed torpedoes and relatively small main batteries could have a devastating effect.

At first things seem to go well. They cruise unmolested south of the battle involving Ise and Hyuga and approach the island. As they draw within a few miles of the Iwo’s dark, volcanic shores, however, they run into trouble.

The trouble comes in the form of a polyglot flotilla hastily gathered from the minesweeping forces in the area. Anchoring them is heavy cruiser Portland. Also present are a light cruiser and a dozen destroyers and destroyer escorts. Trailing behind and mostly trying to stay out of the way are two dozen minesweepers and subchasers.

The battle that follows is hard-fought but the Allied ships have the preponderance of firepower. The Japanese forces are compelled to withdraw, but not before Portland sinks light cruiser Kiso. Destroyer Hayashio is also sunk. The only casualty on the Allied side is destroyer escort Engstrom.

As the remaining eight Japanese ships turn away all they have really accomplished is to further confuse the situation picture that the Allied command is trying to develop as the morning’s events unfold. Radio reports from ships around the island, some frantic, make it sound as though the Japanese are everywhere. That this is not too far from the truth doesn’t help the situation.

Meanwhile Yamato, Musashi, and their escorts have curled a bit around to the south. Admiral Tashiro judges that with the fighting occurring to the north most of his prey may already be in motion to the south as they seek to escape the conflict. Before the other battles are finished they too enter the waters around the island, seeking targets.

ORIGINAL: Cuttlefish


Meanwhile Yamato, Musashi, and their escorts have curled a bit around to the south. Admiral Tashiro judges that with the fighting occurring to the north most of his prey may already be in motion to the south as they seek to escape the conflict. Before the other battles are finished they too enter the waters around the island, seeking targets.

Here come the drums! [&o]

wow tense stuff...+
 

2 down, 1 to go.  Good stuff!

It occurs to me the one group we have not heard from yet is Mr. Taffy. There have got to be a bunch of CVE's around some where.