What's your Strategy?
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ORIGINAL: TheElf
Regardless, the defenders of Moresby are in no position to affect the outcome of the Battle of Coral Sea...
ORIGINAL: TheElf
5 May 42, Coral Sea: CARDIV 5 Attacks
After full day of battling the elements and confirming the location of the US CV TF, CARDIV 5 is spoiling for a fight. They make final preparations through the night and then spring on the Lady Lex and Yorktown Early in the morning. In typical fashion the Combined arms training of Kido Butai is evident as a full strength Strike bears down on the two American Carriers.
For their part the Americans are well aware that they are being stalked. Throughout the day of the 4th snoopers were detected and in some cases shot down. The Dawn patrol catches an Alf shadowing the Lex and they swiftly dispatch it to the depths.
Aside from a light Escort the IJNAFs are in every way prepared to deal certain doom to an "unprepared" adversary.
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Morning Air attack on TF, near Cooktown at 98,138
6 Wildcats are overhead the US carriers and they waste no time getting at the bogeys called out over the fighter net. The two CXAMs are in good order and even as the Airborne CAP wings it's way into action the Alert 5 fighters are called away and climb with all they have to join the defense. It's payback time. Ultimately the CAP will number as many as 24.
The Escort, small as it may be does well to fend off or otherwise occupy a far superior force of Wildcats, but these are not Army flyboys, this is the US Navy, and they aren't messing about. The Escort accounts for 2 F4Fs while the Wildcats claim 1 Zeke and damage 3 more and by the time the Escort loses cohesiveness 13 F4Fs are through the screen on their way to hitting the Strike Package of Kates and Vals. The Kates get the worst of it, 4 additional Fighters join the 13 that make it past the Escort. In the blur that follows nearly an entire squadron of torpedoe bombers are carved out of the sky and 4 others turn and run.
Japanese aircraft
A6M2-21 Zero x 8
B5N2 Kate x 42
D3A1 Val x 38
Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 20
Air Combat runs into the AAA zone, and accounting for downed Jap planes becomes difficult. Many double claims are filed. One thing is not in doubt, the Torpedo Bombers got the worst of it, but their presence is felt as 6 torpedoes find their mark...
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2-21 Zero: 1 destroyed, 3 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 14 destroyed, 14 damaged
D3A1 Val: 4 destroyed, 16 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3 Wildcat: 2 destroyed, 6 damaged ---The CAP performed admirably. total of 24 participate in the defense.
Both Lex and Yorktown lose their CXAMs to Val delivered HE GP explosions in the overhead, and despite the use of GP bombs several deck penetrations are made. However the most telling damage is done by the Shokaku Kates. The Yorktown is not long for this world...
Allied Ships
CV Lexington, Bomb hits 16, Torpedo hits 2, heavy fires
CV Yorktown, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
CA Minneapolis
Aircraft Attacking:
2 x D3A1 Val bombing from 2000 feet (EI-2 Daitai / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 2 x 60 kg GP Bomb
4 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet (EI-3 Daitai / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
4 x D3A1 Val bombing from 2000 feet (EII-2 Daitai / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 2 x 60 kg GP Bomb
2 x D3A1 Val bombing from 2000 feet (EI-2 Daitai / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 2 x 60 kg GP Bomb
1 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet (EI-3 Daitai / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
3 x D3A1 Val bombing from 2000 feet (EII-2 Daitai / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 2 x 60 kg GP Bomb
2 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet (EII-3 Daitai / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
4 x D3A1 Val bombing from 2000 feet (EI-2 Daitai / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 2 x 60 kg GP Bomb
4 x D3A1 Val bombing from 2000 feet (EI-2 Daitai / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 2 x 60 kg GP Bomb
4 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet (EI-3 Daitai / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
2 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet (EI-3 Daitai / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
4 x D3A1 Val bombing from 2000 feet (EII-2 Daitai / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 2 x 60 kg GP Bomb
3 x D3A1 Val bombing from 2000 feet (EII-2 Daitai / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 2 x 60 kg GP Bomb
4 x D3A1 Val bombing from 2000 feet (EI-2 Daitai / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 2 x 60 kg GP Bomb
4 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet (EI-3 Daitai / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
4 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet (EI-3 Daitai / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
4 x D3A1 Val bombing from 2000 feet (EII-2 Daitai / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 2 x 60 kg GP Bomb
3 x B5N2 Kate launching torpedoes at 200 feet (EII-3 Daitai / None)
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Type 91 Torpedo
ORIGINAL: castor troy
Wow, amazing! I see the Vals are now using GP bombs (while the Nells and Betties still use AP bombs, even on airfield attack [&:]), and Lexington is hit by 16 bombs (probably 60kg bombs also). But why on earth can´t those 250kg GP bombs penetrate the wooden deck of this carrier?
I guess, the Vals are only dangerous to DDs and smaller crafts now? If they can´t harm a carrier, how should they deal damage to a CA? Is this the final version?
ORIGINAL: castor troy
Wow, amazing! I see the Vals are now using GP bombs (while the Nells and Betties still use AP bombs, even on airfield attack [&:]), and Lexington is hit by 16 bombs (probably 60kg bombs also). But why on earth can´t those 250kg GP bombs penetrate the wooden deck of this carrier?
I guess, the Vals are only dangerous to DDs and smaller crafts now? If they can´t harm a carrier, how should they deal damage to a CA? Is this the final version?
ORIGINAL: csatahajos
Yeah but still 16 bomb hits and 4 torps on Yorktown seems to be excessive......(Yorktown was a relatively small and manuverable ship compared to Lex which was the worst in the USN until Saratoga's big rebuild...).
It was standard practice for every third Val in a shotai to be armed with GP HE. For AAA suppression and deck crew attrition.ORIGINAL: castor troy
Wow, amazing! I see the Vals are now using GP bombs (while the Nells and Betties still use AP bombs, even on airfield attack [&:]), and Lexington is hit by 16 bombs (probably 60kg bombs also). But why on earth can´t those 250kg GP bombs penetrate the wooden deck of this carrier?
I guess, the Vals are only dangerous to DDs and smaller crafts now? If they can´t harm a carrier, how should they deal damage to a CA? Is this the final version?
ORIGINAL: Jim D Burns
ORIGINAL: csatahajos
Yeah but still 16 bomb hits and 4 torps on Yorktown seems to be excessive......(Yorktown was a relatively small and manuverable ship compared to Lex which was the worst in the USN until Saratoga's big rebuild...).
Agreed, the problem is flak. It's still far too ineffective, it should shred 30% - 60% of attacking airframes and damage most of the rest, more should be outright kills later in the war.
I think I read that Yorktown's flak downed about 70% of the attacking planes at Midway.
Jim
ORIGINAL: TheElf
It was standard practice for every third Val in a shotai to be armed with GP HE. For AAA suppression and deck crew attrition.ORIGINAL: castor troy
Wow, amazing! I see the Vals are now using GP bombs (while the Nells and Betties still use AP bombs, even on airfield attack [&:]), and Lexington is hit by 16 bombs (probably 60kg bombs also). But why on earth can´t those 250kg GP bombs penetrate the wooden deck of this carrier?
I guess, the Vals are only dangerous to DDs and smaller crafts now? If they can´t harm a carrier, how should they deal damage to a CA? Is this the final version?
ORIGINAL: Terminus
I'm sorry, 30-60%? Did they have HAWK missiles?
You're going to have to come up with some cast iron proof for such a ridiculous statement.
