Matrix Games Forums

The Kirishima was on top of her game. Her first hits knocked out the POW's radar, and her third volley knocked out POW's fire control system.
Meanwhile, one of the allied destroyers was hit in the magazine and sunk.

Range increases to 8,000 yards...
BB Prince of Wales engages CL Abukuma at 8,000 yards...
CL Nagara engages CA Houston at 8,000 yards...
CL Boise engages CL Abukuma at 8,000 yards...
CL Marblehead engages CL Nagara at 8,000 yards...
CL Nagara engages CL Mauritius at 8,000 yards...
DD Electra engages DD Suzukaze at 8,000 yards...
DD Umikaze engages CL Tromp at 8,000 yards...
DD Electra engages DD Kawakaze at 8,000 yards...
CL Nagara engages CL Java at 8,000 yards...
DD Jupiter engages DD Umikaze at 8,000 yards...
DD Yukikaze engages DD Electra at 8,000 yards...
DD Yukikaze engages DD Stronghold at 8,000 yards...
DD John D. Edwards engages DD Tokitsukaze at 8,000 yards...
Range closes to 7,000 yards...
BB Kirishima engages BB Prince of Wales at 7,000 yards...
CA Houston engages CL Nagara at 7,000 yards...
CL Boise engages CL Abukuma at 7,000 yards...
CL Nagara engages CL Tromp at 7,000 yards...
DD Electra engages DD Shiokaze at 7,000 yards...
CL Abukuma engages CL Dragon at 7,000 yards...
CL Abukuma engages CL Tromp at 7,000 yards...
DD Electra engages DD Kawakaze at 7,000 yards...
DD Edsall engages DD Tokitsukaze at 7,000 yards...
DD Yukikaze engages DD Jupiter at 7,000 yards...
BB Prince of Wales engages DD Kagero at 7,000 yards...
DD Yukikaze engages DD Electra at 7,000 yards...
DD Shiokaze engages DD John D. Edwards at 7,000 yards...
DD Shiokaze engages DD Edsall at 7,000 yards...
Range increases to 9,000 yards...
BB Kirishima engages BB Prince of Wales at 9,000 yards...
BB Hiei engages BB Prince of Wales at 9,000 yards...
CL Abukuma engages CL Boise at 9,000 yards...
CL Nagara engages CL Mauritius at 9,000 yards...
DD Shiokaze engages DD Jupiter at 9,000 yards...
CL Abukuma engages CL Dragon at 9,000 yards...
DD Umikaze engages DD Edsall at 9,000 yards...
DD John D. Edwards sunk by DD Kawakaze at 9,000 yards...
DD Yukikaze engages DD Jupiter at 9,000 yards...

Hiei finally joined Kirishima in hammering the Prince of Wales. Kirishima by far did the most hits, and the Prince of wales went down after taking over 40 14" shell hits.

Range increases to 13,000 yards...
BB Prince of Wales engages BB Kirishima at 13,000 yards...
CL Abukuma engages CL Marblehead at 13,000 yards...
CL Java engages CL Nagara at 13,000 yards...
CL Mauritius engages CL Abukuma at 13,000 yards...
DD Suzukaze engages DD Electra at 13,000 yards...
CL Tromp engages CL Abukuma at 13,000 yards...
CL De Ruyter engages DD Kawakaze at 13,000 yards...
DD Tokitsukaze engages DD Electra at 13,000 yards...
DD Yukikaze engages DD Jupiter at 13,000 yards...
DD Electra engages DD Kagero at 13,000 yards...
DD Kawakaze engages DD Electra at 13,000 yards...
DD Umikaze engages DD Stronghold at 13,000 yards...
Yamaguchi, Jihei orders Japanese TF to disengage...
CL Abukuma engages CA Houston at 13,000 yards...
CL Abukuma engages CL De Ruyter at 13,000 yards...
CL Marblehead engages CL Nagara at 13,000 yards...
CL Abukuma engages CL Mauritius at 13,000 yards...
CL Nagara engages CL Dragon at 13,000 yards...
DD Stronghold engages DD Umikaze at 13,000 yards...
DD Kawakaze engages DD Jupiter at 13,000 yards...
DD Jupiter engages DD Yukikaze at 13,000 yards...
DD Encounter engages DD Kawakaze at 13,000 yards...
DD Electra engages DD Kawakaze at 13,000 yards...
Range increases to 16,000 yards...
BB Kirishima engages CL Boise at 16,000 yards...
CL Nagara engages CA Houston at 16,000 yards...
CL De Ruyter engages CL Abukuma at 16,000 yards...
CL Nagara engages CL Marblehead at 16,000 yards...
DD Shiokaze engages DD Encounter at 16,000 yards...
DD Suzukaze engages DD Encounter at 16,000 yards...
DD Umikaze engages DD Stronghold at 16,000 yards...
CL Abukuma engages CL De Ruyter at 16,000 yards...
DD Electra engages DD Yukikaze at 16,000 yards...
DD Kagero engages DD Encounter at 16,000 yards...
DD Kagero engages DD Electra at 16,000 yards...
Range increases to 17,000 yards...
BB Kirishima engages BB Prince of Wales at 17,000 yards...
BB Prince of Wales engages BB Hiei at 17,000 yards...
CL Nagara engages CL Boise at 17,000 yards...
CL Marblehead engages CL Abukuma at 17,000 yards...
CL Abukuma engages CL Mauritius at 17,000 yards...
DD Suzukaze engages DD Jupiter at 17,000 yards...
CL Nagara engages CL Tromp at 17,000 yards...
DD Encounter engages DD Kawakaze at 17,000 yards...
DD Tokitsukaze engages DD Jupiter at 17,000 yards...
DD Jupiter engages DD Yukikaze at 17,000 yards...
DD Tokitsukaze engages DD Electra at 17,000 yards...
DD Edsall engages DD Umikaze at 17,000 yards...
Range increases to 18,000 yards...
BB Kirishima engages BB Prince of Wales at 18,000 yards...
CL Abukuma engages CL Boise at 18,000 yards...
CL Boise engages CL Nagara at 18,000 yards...
CL Abukuma engages CL Mauritius at 18,000 yards...
CL Dragon engages DD Suzukaze at 18,000 yards...
CL Abukuma engages CL Tromp at 18,000 yards...
CL Nagara engages CL De Ruyter at 18,000 yards...
DD Yukikaze engages DD Electra at 18,000 yards...
DD Kagero engages DD Edsall at 18,000 yards...
Range increases to 19,000 yards...
BB Kirishima engages BB Prince of Wales at 19,000 yards...
CL Abukuma engages CA Houston at 19,000 yards...
CL Abukuma engages CA Houston at 19,000 yards...
CL Nagara engages CL Mauritius at 19,000 yards...
CL Abukuma engages CL Mauritius at 19,000 yards...
CL Dragon engages DD Suzukaze at 19,000 yards...
CL De Ruyter engages DD Kawakaze at 19,000 yards...
CL Java engages CL Abukuma at 19,000 yards...
DD Yukikaze engages DD Electra at 19,000 yards...
Range increases to 21,000 yards...
BB Prince of Wales engages BB Kirishima at 21,000 yards...
BB Hiei engages CA Houston at 21,000 yards...
CL Boise engages CL Abukuma at 21,000 yards...
CL Nagara engages CL Marblehead at 21,000 yards...
BB Prince of Wales engages DD Suzukaze at 21,000 yards...
CL De Ruyter engages CL Nagara at 21,000 yards...
BB Kirishima engages DD Jupiter at 21,000 yards...
BB Hiei engages DD Encounter at 21,000 yards...
BB Prince of Wales engages BB Kirishima at 21,000 yards...
BB Prince of Wales engages BB Hiei at 21,000 yards...
CA Houston engages CL Abukuma at 21,000 yards...
CL Marblehead engages CL Nagara at 21,000 yards...
CL Java engages DD Shiokaze at 21,000 yards...
BB Prince of Wales engages DD Suzukaze at 21,000 yards...
CL Tromp engages CL Abukuma at 21,000 yards...
CL De Ruyter engages CL Abukuma at 21,000 yards...
CL Java engages CL Nagara at 21,000 yards...
BB Prince of Wales engages DD Yukikaze at 21,000 yards...
BB Hiei engages DD Encounter at 21,000 yards...
BB Hiei engages DD Edsall at 21,000 yards...
BB Kirishima engages BB Prince of Wales at 21,000 yards...
BB Hiei engages BB Prince of Wales at 21,000 yards...
CL Boise engages CL Nagara at 21,000 yards...
CL Nagara engages CL Marblehead at 21,000 yards...
CL Mauritius engages DD Shiokaze at 21,000 yards...
BB Prince of Wales engages DD Suzukaze at 21,000 yards...
CL De Ruyter engages CL Abukuma at 21,000 yards...
BB Hiei engages DD Encounter at 21,000 yards...
CA Houston engages CL Abukuma at 21,000 yards...
CL Java engages CL Abukuma at 21,000 yards...
CL Abukuma engages CL Marblehead at 21,000 yards...
CL Mauritius engages CL Nagara at 21,000 yards...
CL Nagara engages CL De Ruyter at 21,000 yards...
CL Java engages CL Nagara at 21,000 yards...
BB Kirishima engages DD Encounter at 21,000 yards...
BB Kirishima engages DD Stronghold at 21,000 yards...
Range increases to 23,000 yards...
BB Kirishima engages CL Marblehead at 23,000 yards...
CL Boise engages CL Nagara at 23,000 yards...
CL Marblehead engages CL Nagara at 23,000 yards...
CA Houston engages CL Nagara at 23,000 yards...
CL Boise engages DD Umikaze at 23,000 yards...
DD Kawakaze sunk by CA Houston at 23,000 yards...
Range increases to 24,000 yards...
CA Houston engages CL Abukuma at 24,000 yards...
CL Marblehead engages CL Abukuma at 24,000 yards...
CL Nagara engages CL Boise at 24,000 yards...
CA Houston engages DD Suzukaze at 24,000 yards...
CA Houston engages DD Umikaze at 24,000 yards...
CL Marblehead engages DD Kagero at 24,000 yards...
Range increases to 26,000 yards...
CA Houston engages CL Nagara at 26,000 yards...
CL Boise engages CL Abukuma at 26,000 yards...
CA Houston engages CL Nagara at 26,000 yards...
CL Boise engages DD Shiokaze at 26,000 yards...
Range increases to 29,000 yards...
CL Abukuma engages CA Houston at 29,000 yards...
CA Houston engages DD Shiokaze at 29,000 yards...
Task forces break off......

It was a vicious knife fight and I had no idea how it would turn out. In the end the Japanese won the day, primarily due to the good shooting of the Kirishima. Both of my battleships shot all of their main gun ammo.

Japanese Ships
BB Hiei
BB Kirishima, Shell hits 1
CL Nagara, Shell hits 17, heavy fires
CL Abukuma, Shell hits 39, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Kagero, Shell hits 2, heavy fires
DD Yukikaze, Shell hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Tokitsukaze, Shell hits 4, on fire
DD Yamakaze, Shell hits 4, and is sunk
DD Kawakaze, Shell hits 13, and is sunk
DD Umikaze, Shell hits 4
DD Suzukaze
DD Shiokaze, Shell hits 1

Allied Ships
BB Prince of Wales, Shell hits 24, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
CA Houston, Shell hits 1
CL Java, Shell hits 1
CL De Ruyter
CL Tromp
CL Dragon
CL Mauritius
CL Marblehead
CL Boise, Shell hits 1
DD Edsall, Shell hits 2
DD John D. Edwards, Shell hits 3, and is sunk
DD Stronghold
DD Electra, Shell hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Encounter
DD Jupiter, Shell hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage

All of the smaller ships were damaged and I will probably lose a few of them before I can get them to port.

Later in the afternoon, three of the surviving allied destroyers tried to sneak back into the area only to be discovered by secondary covering force.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Tarakan at 67,91, Range 14,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Mogami
CA Mikuma
CA Suzuya
CA Kumano
DD Maikaze
DD Nowaki
DD Arashi
DD Hagikaze

Allied Ships
DD Electra, Shell hits 4, and is sunk
DD Encounter, Shell hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
DD Jupiter, Shell hits 5, and is sunk



Low visibility due to Rain...
Maximum visibility in Rain: 15,000 yards...
Range closes to 28,000 yards......
Range closes to 26,000 yards......
Range closes to 24,000 yards......
Range closes to 22,000 yards......
Range closes to 20,000 yards......
Range closes to 18,000 yards......
Range closes to 16,000 yards......
Range closes to 14,000 yards......
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 14,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 14,000 yards...
DD Jupiter engages DD Hagikaze at 14,000 yards...
DD Hagikaze engages DD Encounter at 14,000 yards...
DD Electra engages DD Arashi at 14,000 yards...
DD Maikaze engages DD Jupiter at 14,000 yards...
Range closes to 12,000 yards...
CA Kumano engages DD Jupiter at 12,000 yards...
DD Jupiter sunk by CA Suzuya at 12,000 yards...
DD Electra sunk by CA Mikuma at 12,000 yards...
Range closes to 9,000 yards...
CA Kumano engages DD Encounter at 9,000 yards...
CA Suzuya engages DD Encounter at 9,000 yards...
DD Hagikaze engages DD Encounter at 9,000 yards...
DD Arashi engages DD Encounter at 9,000 yards...
CA Kumano engages DD Encounter at 9,000 yards...
DD Hagikaze engages DD Encounter at 9,000 yards...
Allied Task Force Manages to Escape...
Task forces break off......

HMS Encounter tried valiantly to escape but could not.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Time Surface Combat, near Tarakan at 67,91, Range 10,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Mogami
CA Mikuma
CA Suzuya
CA Kumano
DD Maikaze
DD Nowaki
DD Arashi
DD Hagikaze

Allied Ships
DD Encounter, Shell hits 4, and is sunk



Low visibility due to Rain...
Maximum visibility in Rain: 11,000 yards...
Range closes to 28,000 yards......
Range closes to 26,000 yards......
Range closes to 24,000 yards......
Range closes to 22,000 yards......
Range closes to 20,000 yards......
Range closes to 18,000 yards......
Range closes to 16,000 yards......
Range closes to 14,000 yards......
Range closes to 12,000 yards......
Range closes to 10,000 yards......
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 10,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 10,000 yards...
CA Kumano engages DD Encounter at 10,000 yards...
Range closes to 9,000 yards...
DD Encounter sunk by CA Kumano at 9,000 yards...
DD Encounter sunk by CA Kumano at 9,000 yards...
Combat ends with last Allied ship sunk......

I was still unable to take Tarakan, but we are getting close to taking it next turn.

Meanwhile, I am laying out a sub picket line to intercept his retreating ships.

After the battle, CL Abukuma succumbed to her wounds which were mostly inflicted by Boise.

Here is the ships sunk list for the turn. Looks correct to me.

I conducted a couple of small scale fighter sweeps during the turn but didn't shoot much down. Weather was terrible.
He pounded my approaching forces with bombers and inflicted some casualties. My worst loss of the turn was an Ida squadron that tried to fly an unescorted ground attack mission into a hex that had Soviet fighters on CAP. I thought that I had ended all daylight bomber missions for the turn so this one was a surprise that cost me several Idas.

My temporary stalemate in the ground battle continued.

I attacked him in Changsha to no effect.
He attacked back in Layong to no effect.
We continued to bombard each other at Clark and Manila.

Weather for next turn is not great again.

Great AAR Seydlitz. Thankfully your secondary CA group wasn't the 1st one to engage the POW else he may well have gotten away with an allied victory. Brave of him to send out the heavy surface units so far from java. Any betty bases closeby ? i.e lvl 2 and air HQ ? I'm guessing he thinks your so focused on Russia that your neglecting the DEI. wee you proved him wrong if that was his assumption [;)].

Really interesting game you have going here. I noticed his I15 and I16 losses are horrific, looking at the stats nates should be the rough equal vs I15's but beware the new arriving mig3's . i think they would chop the Nates from the skies. IIRC the Mig3 was a high altitude interceptor in concept (havnt looked at in game stats) but it may be worth comparing it vs the Zero and maybe adjust sweep height when you encounter them.

Just my 2p

Good Luck and I'll be while you splat the Reds [:D]

ORIGINAL: Rob Brennan UK

Great AAR Seydlitz. Thankfully your secondary CA group wasn't the 1st one to engage the POW else he may well have gotten away with an allied victory. Brave of him to send out the heavy surface units so far from java. Any betty bases closeby ? i.e lvl 2 and air HQ ? I'm guessing he thinks your so focused on Russia that your neglecting the DEI. wee you proved him wrong if that was his assumption [;)].

Really interesting game you have going here. I noticed his I15 and I16 losses are horrific, looking at the stats nates should be the rough equal vs I15's but beware the new arriving mig3's . i think they would chop the Nates from the skies. IIRC the Mig3 was a high altitude interceptor in concept (havnt looked at in game stats) but it may be worth comparing it vs the Zero and maybe adjust sweep height when you encounter them.

Just my 2p

Good Luck and I'll be while you splat the Reds [:D]

Fighting Russia and China while still trying to conquer the SRA really does put a strain on Japan. A couple of turns ago I saw him pop up a two HDML surface combat TF in Singapore to test and see if I still had any Betties or Nells in the area. He found out that I did. I Have 3 units around Saigon and another flying out of Babelbub (sp.?).

Funny thing with the Mig 3 is they haven't done as well against the nates because their maneuver is so low. It is kind of like the issues that I have had with my zeroes not being able to chew through the I-153 biplanes. I take some losses, but it is clearly not the scale like we see in stock where the U.S. player brings in the corsairs and its all over for whatever the Japanese player is flying.

Glad that you are enjoying the AAR.

Turn 36 11 Jan 1942

Started the turn off with a sub on sub attack as RO-33 attacked a Russian sub two hexes out of Vladivostok.
No indication of a hit, however, but it was definitely exciting.

Subs can be decent ASW platforms in the right circumstances.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub vs Sub: SS RO-33 attacking SS ShCh-139 at 110,49 - near Vladivostok

Japanese Ships
SS RO-33

Allied Ships
SS ShCh-139



SS RO-33 launches 2 torpedoes at 1,000 yards...

Here was an interesting attack....
It was listed as an ASW attack but started off with RO-61 torpedoing DD Bagley. The other destroyer, DD Blue then attacked RO-61 until she ran out of depth charges.

This is the first time that I can recall an ASW attack where the sub actively defended itself.

DD Bagley is listed on the ships sunk screen for the turn and she didn't participate in the counterattacks.
I must say that this is very unusual because the sub attack is not mentioned in the combat reports but as you can see from the screenie it actually happened. I guess I will as my opponent what it looked like from his side.


H6K4 Mavis sighting report: 2 Allied ships at 147,100 near Wake Island, speed 13, Moving West


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASW attack near Wake Island at 136,98

Japanese Ships
SS RO-61, hits 4

Allied Ships
DD Blue



RO-61 bottoming out .......
DD Blue fails to find sub, continues to search......
DD Blue attacking submerged sub .......
DD Blue attacking submerged sub .......
DD Blue is out of ASW ammo...
DD Blue is out of ASW ammo...
DD Blue is out of ASW ammo...
DD Blue attacking submerged sub .......
DD Blue is out of ASW ammo...
DD Blue is out of ASW ammo...
DD Blue is out of ASW ammo...
DD Blue is out of ASW ammo...
DD Blue is out of ASW ammo...
DD Blue attacking submerged sub .......
DD Blue is out of ASW ammo...
DD Blue is out of ASW ammo...
DD Blue is out of ASW ammo...
Escort abandons search for sub...

Here is the ships sunk screen for the turn. As you can see, DD Bagley is also on this screen.

against the AI i've a similar situation, with 1 CA and 1 DD hit: I load as japan to see and it was real results

As you may have guessed, we also had two more decent sized naval battles during the turn. CL Nagara and DD Yukikaze succumbed to wounds suffered in last turn's combats, but the rest are all from this turn.

First was the battle at night a few hexes north of Rabaul where the ANZAC cruisers attempted to intercept my Rabaul second wave. I had anticipated this fight and had more warships than transports. Due to the weather and darkness it was another short ranged fight. This obviously caused confusion as one of my destroyers was twice involved in collisions during the battle (once with a CL and then with another DD) and I saw two of my transports collide.

Overall, the force gave a good accounting of itself and two more enemy cruisers are on the bottom.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Kavieng at 105,123, Range 12,000 Yards

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
CA Maya, Shell hits 2
CA Ashigara, Shell hits 12, heavy fires
CA Aoba
CA Kinugasa, Shell hits 1, on fire
CA Furutaka
CA Kako, Shell hits 1
CL Tenryu
CL Tatsuta, Shell hits 1
CL Yubari, Shell hits 14, and is sunk
DD Oboro, Shell hits 3, on fire
DD Mutsuki
DD Kisaragi
DD Yayoi
DD Uzuki
DD Kikuzuki, heavy damage
DD Mochizuki, Shell hits 1
DD Yuzuki
DD Asakaze
DD Matsukaze
DD Oite
DD Hayate, Shell hits 1
PB Fukui Maru, Shell hits 1
PB Hakkaisan Maru, Shell hits 1
PB Ikunta Maru, Shell hits 1
PB Kaikei Maru
PB Kaiun Maru
AMC Kinryu Maru
AMC Kongo Maru
xAK Venice Maru
xAK Nittai Maru

Allied Ships
CA Pensacola, Shell hits 6, on fire
CA Australia, Shell hits 19, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
CA Canberra, Shell hits 34, Torpedo hits 4, and is sunk
CL Leander
CL Achilles
CL Perth, Shell hits 1, on fire
CL Adelaide, Shell hits 1
DD Voyager



Reduced sighting due to 32% moonlight...
Maximum visibility in Overcast Conditions and 32% moonlight: 12,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 12,000 yards...
Allies open fire on surprised Japanese ships at 12,000 yards...
DD Yayoi collides with DD Mochizuki at 105 , 123 ...[X(]
CA Canberra fires at CL Yubari at 12,000 yards...
CA Canberra fires at CA Furutaka at 12,000 yards...
CA Canberra fires at CA Kinugasa at 12,000 yards...
CL Achilles fires at CL Yubari at 12,000 yards...
Range closes to 6,000 yards...
CA Canberra engages CL Yubari at 6,000 yards...
CL Yubari engages CA Australia at 6,000 yards...
CA Kinugasa engages CA Pensacola at 6,000 yards...
CA Aoba engages CA Canberra at 6,000 yards...
CL Yubari engages CL Perth at 6,000 yards...
CA Maya engages CA Canberra at 6,000 yards...
CL Leander engages CL Yubari at 6,000 yards...
CL Tatsuta engages CA Canberra at 6,000 yards...
CA Canberra engages DD Kisaragi at 6,000 yards...
DD Oboro engages CA Canberra at 6,000 yards...
Range closes to 4,000 yards...
CL Yubari engages CA Canberra at 4,000 yards...
CA Australia engages CL Yubari at 4,000 yards...
CA Kinugasa engages CA Canberra at 4,000 yards...
CA Kinugasa engages CL Adelaide at 4,000 yards...
CL Perth engages CL Yubari at 4,000 yards...
CA Canberra engages CA Maya at 4,000 yards...
CA Canberra engages CL Yubari at 4,000 yards...
CA Canberra engages CL Tatsuta at 4,000 yards...
CL Adelaide engages DD Matsukaze at 4,000 yards...
CA Canberra engages DD Mochizuki at 4,000 yards...
DD Yayoi engages CA Canberra at 4,000 yards...
CA Canberra engages PB Ikunta Maru at 4,000 yards...
Range closes to 2,000 yards...
CL Yubari collides with DD Kikuzuki at 105 , 123 ...[X(]
CL Yubari engages CA Canberra at 2,000 yards...
CL Yubari engages CA Australia at 2,000 yards...
CL Yubari sunk by CA Pensacola at 2,000 yards...[:(]
CA Canberra sunk by CA Ashigara at 2,000 yards...
Range increases to 3,000 yards...
CA Australia engages CA Kako at 3,000 yards...
CA Pensacola engages CA Ashigara at 3,000 yards...
CA Kinugasa engages CA Australia at 3,000 yards...
CL Perth engages CA Ashigara at 3,000 yards...
CA Australia engages CA Ashigara at 3,000 yards...
CA Maya engages CA Australia at 3,000 yards...
CL Tatsuta engages CA Australia at 3,000 yards...
DD Hayate engages CA Australia at 3,000 yards...
CA Australia engages DD Yuzuki at 3,000 yards...
CA Australia engages DD Mochizuki at 3,000 yards...
CA Australia engages PB Fukui Maru at 3,000 yards...
Range increases to 4,000 yards...
CA Kako engages CA Australia at 4,000 yards...
CA Australia engages CA Furutaka at 4,000 yards...
CA Kinugasa engages CA Australia at 4,000 yards...
CA Australia engages CA Aoba at 4,000 yards...
CA Ashigara engages CL Achilles at 4,000 yards...
CL Leander engages CA Ashigara at 4,000 yards...
CL Tatsuta engages DD Voyager at 4,000 yards...
CA Australia engages PB Fukui Maru at 4,000 yards...
Range increases to 6,000 yards...
CA Kako engages CA Pensacola at 6,000 yards...
CA Furutaka engages CA Pensacola at 6,000 yards...
CL Perth engages CA Furutaka at 6,000 yards...
CA Ashigara engages CL Achilles at 6,000 yards...
CA Pensacola engages CA Ashigara at 6,000 yards...
DD Voyager engages DD Oboro at 6,000 yards...
DD Yayoi engages DD Voyager at 6,000 yards...
CA Pensacola engages PB Kaikei Maru at 6,000 yards...
CL Adelaide engages PB Hakkaisan Maru at 6,000 yards...
Range increases to 9,000 yards...
DD Yuzuki collides with DD Kikuzuki at 105 , 123 ...[X(]
CA Ashigara engages CA Pensacola at 9,000 yards...
CA Furutaka engages CA Pensacola at 9,000 yards...
CL Perth engages CA Ashigara at 9,000 yards...
CA Ashigara engages CL Achilles at 9,000 yards...
CA Ashigara engages CA Pensacola at 9,000 yards...
CA Pensacola engages CA Maya at 9,000 yards...
DD Mochizuki engages DD Voyager at 9,000 yards...
CA Pensacola engages DD Yayoi at 9,000 yards...
DD Mutsuki engages DD Voyager at 9,000 yards...
CA Pensacola engages PB Ikunta Maru at 9,000 yards...
CA Kako engages CA Pensacola at 9,000 yards...
CL Adelaide engages CA Ashigara at 9,000 yards...
CL Perth engages CA Kinugasa at 9,000 yards...
CL Achilles engages CA Ashigara at 9,000 yards...
CA Ashigara engages CA Pensacola at 9,000 yards...
DD Voyager engages DD Oboro at 9,000 yards...
DD Voyager engages DD Asakaze at 9,000 yards...
DD Uzuki engages DD Voyager at 9,000 yards...
DD Voyager engages DD Kisaragi at 9,000 yards...
Range increases to 10,000 yards...
CA Kako engages CA Pensacola at 10,000 yards...
CA Furutaka engages CL Perth at 10,000 yards...
CL Perth engages CA Ashigara at 10,000 yards...
CL Achilles engages CA Aoba at 10,000 yards...
CL Leander engages CA Ashigara at 10,000 yards...
CA Maya engages CA Pensacola at 10,000 yards...
DD Kisaragi engages DD Voyager at 10,000 yards...
DD Oboro engages DD Voyager at 10,000 yards...
CA Pensacola engages AMC Kongo Maru at 10,000 yards...
Range closes to 8,000 yards...
CA Pensacola engages CA Ashigara at 8,000 yards...
CA Pensacola engages CA Furutaka at 8,000 yards...
CA Ashigara engages CL Perth at 8,000 yards...
CA Aoba engages CA Pensacola at 8,000 yards...
CA Ashigara engages CA Pensacola at 8,000 yards...
CA Maya engages DD Voyager at 8,000 yards...
Japanese Task Force Manages to Escape...
Task forces break off......

I find it interesting after reviewing the combat report text that it doesn't list text saying that CA Kako sank the Australia but that is what the combat showed as did the summary and the ships sunk screen.

Here is what my damaged ships looked like after the battle...

Just about all of Kikizuki's engine and flotation damage are major. I guess that she was rammed broadside in the engine room during one of the collisions.

He did win strategically by forcing my second wave to turn back to truk instead of landing at Rabaul. I am about done with this however. The last carrier of the KB just completed repairs at Kure and they are sailing for Truk next turn.

Note that I did alter the KB's composition. Instead of one large TF with 6 carriers, it is now 6 TFs with 1 carrier, 2 DDs in each. Three of the TFs have either a CA or CS as an addition. The CAs are Tone and Chikuma and the CS is Chitose. This provides the additional scouting power that I need. By running like this, I can compartmentalize the damage in an airstrike.
The KB is now commanded by Admiral Yamaguchi riding in Shokaku.

So far so good ! Although I wish you would go ahead and just finish off those pesky Soviets [;)]