CAW MP AAR - Island Battles Campaign 2

[GenChaos33]

A) Introduction
Today’s date is December 10, 1941. Smoke is still rising from the mangled ships in Pearl Harbor. Japan and the US are now at war. It’s now a clash of steel over unknown desolate island atolls in the Pacific. Can the US Navy hold the line with its remaining warships and the help of its naval codebreakers to stem the Imperial Japanese Navy initial numbers advantage as they run rampantly eastward across the Pacific? Timing is everything. Japan must move quickly and efficiently to knock the US Navy out before her industrial might takes over the crushes Japan back to her Home Islands. Re-live history and find out for yourself.

B) Object of Campaign
To capture all the bases in all island groups to force the surrender of the other side. The CAW game engine is the heart of CAW - Island Battles Campaign. The strategic level is turn based and is used to create scenarios for the CAW game engine. If two opposing sides both have operations in the same hex than combat (Air Combat, Surface Combat, and/or Invasions using CAW) occurs to decide which side owns the base in that hex.

C) Strategic Map (see attachement)
The map is made up of 13 total areas (2 Home Ports/11 island areas).
Home Port (unlimited ships / unlimited air) – Japan, Pearl Harbor
Small Base (5 max ships / 10 max air units)
Okinawa, Iwo Jima, Saipan, Guam, Wake, Yap, Truk, Attu, Kwajalein, Tarawa, Midway

D) Order of Appearance
1) Japanese Forces
IJN surface ships – all available at start (45 Total - 9CV, 4CVL, 12 BB, 20CA)
IJN land based air units – 6 units at start (40 Total – random draw per turn)
IJN marines – 6 units at start (40 Total – random draw per turn)

2) American Forces
USN surface ships – random ships 10-15 at start (64 Total - 12CV, 9CVL, 25 BB, 18CA)
USN land based air units – 12 units at start (40 Total – random draw per turn)
USN marines – 12 units at start (40 Total – random draw per turn)

E) Sequence of Play (25 total turns / one strategic turn equals approx two months)
1) Create Operation / Movement (No units can enter its opponent’s Home Port Hex)
a) Japanese Operation Phase
All IJN units can move (warships to any hex, air & marines units no more 2 areas)
b) US Operation Phase
All USN units can move (warships to any hex, air & marines units no more 2 areas)
c) Japanese Reaction Phase
Only IJN warships at port/base can move (up to 2 areas)
d) US Reaction Phase
Only US warships at port/base can move (up to 2 areas)

2) Ship Repair - Ships remaining at Home Port on that turn can be repaired (IJN 20pts, USN 40pts)

3) Sea Combat (use CAW custom scenarios for battles and results)

4) Island Combat (info to follow)

5) End of Turn
All ships at sea are returned to Home Port or any adjacent port.
Island occupation. Victorious attacking marines avert to defending marines.

[RahRunner]

START OF TURN 1

So before we can get to the Movement Phases, need to take care of the Pearl Harbor Raid and Reinforcements. A D6 die roll is used to determine ships sunk from the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor. I roll a 1 and draw 1 random ship from the reinforcement counter (ship a) deck. Its a nice low roll but it turn out to be the Lex and its removed from play.
Now I roll for Ship Reinforcement. Again, another low roll of 1. I draw BB Texas from the Ship A deck and Tex joins my small fleet of 12CAs. Now I roll for Air/Inf Reinforcement. Better roll of 3. I draw from the Air/Inf deck and get 3 air groups.

[GenChaos33]

Memorial Day – Remember those that have fallen. You are not forgotten USS Sculpin – SS191 (sunk late Nov.‘43, near Truk).

CAW MP CAMPAIGN #2 – TURN 1

First, it’s the Japanese Reinforcement Phase. Roll D6. A 5 counter draw gives me 2 Air units and 3 Marine units.

Now, the Japanese Operational Movement Phase. As the IJN Fleet Admiral at start of turn 1, I have so many ships. Only bad thing is that they are all located at the Japan Home Port. Thus, its best to move almost all of the ships out during Operational Movement. So that they can quickly get out into the Pacific. Another problem is that I have few land forces in the Pacific compared to the US. IMO, I can only invade one of my two targets of Guam or Wake. I decide to invade Wake, while protecting all current possessions and patrolling all other US areas to keep them isolated from reinforcements. So that means I need to break my forces into 10 groups. One group (CV, BB, 2CA) will stay home and move during the Reaction Movement Phase, if Okinawa or Iwo is invaded from the US Marines on Guam. The remaining 9 groups will contain 1or2 CV/CVL, 1or2 BB, 2 CA. Another reason that I’m going with the full coverage strategy is that the US currently has no active CVs in play.

[GenChaos33]

The nine task forces leave port..

[GenChaos33]

I follow with the movement of Air and Marine units. Since these units are limited to 2 movement points. They slowly move east. While 4 marine units in range of Wake, move in to invade. NOTE: borders with one slash cost 1MP and two slashes cost 2MPs.

[RahRunner]

USN Operational Movement Phase (ships at home port unlimited MPs & air/marine units 2MPs) - I decide to invade Yap. So I move all Pearl ships (BB, 12CAs) to Yap, and one marine unit from Guam to Yap.

IJN Reaction Movement Phase (remaining IJN ships at port/base can move 2MPs max) - GenChaos makes no moves. The task force in Japan stays in port since there was no invasion of Okinawa or Iwo.

USN Reaction Movement Phase (remaining USN ships at port/base can move 2MPs max) - I move the 3 CAs at Guam to Yap.

The pic below is the combination of the USN Op & React Phase....

[GenChaos33]

Sub Activation Phase. Each side rolls one D6. IJN rolls a 1, and places sub in Yap area. USN rolls a 5, and places 2 subs in Yap & 3 subs in Wake.

[GenChaos33]

So all ship/unit movement/placement is done for Turn 1. The two battle areas for Turn 1 are Wake and Yap. Time to make the scenarios....

[mariovalleemtl]

Cool !

[GenChaos33]

CAW MP/C2 - TURN 1 YAP BATTLE FORM (Allied)
************************************************************

ALLIED ADMIRAL IN COMMAND: Rear Admiral Random_Rail


MAP COMBAT/SAFE ZONES WITH X,Y COORDINATES: (4 points form area/box/zone)

COMBAT ZONE (6,0)(77,0)(6,71)(77,71)

IJN SAFE ZONE (0,0)(5,0)(0,71)(5,71)

USN SAFE ZONE (78,0)(83,0)(78,71)(83,71)

IJN YAP ISLAND HEX (20,36)


ALLIED ORDER OF BATTLE:

1 BB : Texas

15 CA : Astoria, Chester, Chicago, Houston, Indianapolis, Louisville, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Northampton, Pensacola, Portland, Quincy, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Vincennes

1 TR : Transport Unit (3 Medium Transports)

19 DD : (assigned - 2 for BB, 2 for TR unit, 15 for CA)

2 SS


ALLIED TASK GROUP CREATION/ASSIGNMENT: (note: do not include subs)

a) TASK GROUP ID ( # or Name ) : _________
b) TASK GROUP STARTING LOCATION (Y coordinate only - east mapedge) : ( 83 , ________ )
c) TASK GROUP SHIP COMPOSITION (using OOB above) : __________________

(Repeat line group a-b-c until all CV, CVL, BB, CA, DD, TR in OOB have been assigned to a TG)


a) 58.1
b) 83,30
c) Texas, Astoria, Chester, Chicago, Houston, Indianapolis, Louisville, 11 DD


a) 58.2
b) 83,32
c) Minneapolis, New Orleans, Northampton, Pensacola, Portland, Quincy, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Vincennes, 9 DD


a) 58.3
b) 83,34
c) TR Unit, 2 DD


ALLIED SUB PATROL ASSIGNMENT: (note: subs only, combat area coordinates only)

1) SUBMARINE STARTING LOCATION : (34,37)
2) SUBMARINE STARTING LOCATION : (34,25)

(Repeat line until all submarines in OOB have been assigned to a combat area coordinate)


ALLIED FLEE POINTS: (note: no more than 4, along east map edge)

Flee points (83,58) (83,49) (83,42) (83,28)


HOUSE RULES:

- You cannot attack enemy TGs in their safe zone. No air combat allowed in safe zone.
- You (TGs) cannot enter enemy safe zone. No surface combat allowed in safe zone.
- Screenshots of final battle results must be taken of both sides from each player. (4 pics total)
- If there is issue of possible cheating/rule breaking, take a screenshot and submit with comments.

[GenChaos33]

CAW MP/C2 - TURN 1 YAP BATTLE FORM (IJN)
************************************************************

IJN ADMIRAL IN COMMAND: Fleet Admiral GeneralChaos


MAP COMBAT/SAFE ZONES WITH X,Y COORDINATES: (4 points form area/box/zone)

COMBAT ZONE (6,0)(77,0)(6,71)(77,71)

IJN SAFE ZONE (0,0)(5,0)(0,71)(5,71)

USN SAFE ZONE (78,0)(83,0)(78,71)(83,71)

IJN YAP ISLAND HEX (20,36)


IJN ORDER OF BATTLE:

2 CVL: Hosho, Ryujo

1 BB : Hiei

2 CA : Chokai, Furutaka

8 DD : (assigned - 2 for each CVL, 2 for BB, 1 for each CA)

1 SS


IJN TASK GROUP CREATION/ASSIGNMENT: (note: do not include subs)

a) TASK GROUP ID ( # or Name ) : _________
b) TASK GROUP STARTING LOCATION (Y coordinate only - west mapedge) : ( 0 , ________ )
c) TASK GROUP SHIP COMPOSITION (using OOB above) : __________________

(Repeat line group a-b-c until all CV, CVL, BB, CA, DD, TR in OOB have been assigned to a TG)


a) Carrier Force
b) 0,30
c) Hosho, Ryujo, 2 DD


a) Surface Force
b) 0,32
c) Hiei, Chokai, Furutaka, 6 DD


IJN SUB PATROL ASSIGNMENT: (note: subs only, combat area coordinates only)

1) SUBMARINE STARTING LOCATION : (24,36)

(Repeat line until all submarines in OOB have been assigned to a combat area coordinate)


IJN FLEE POINTS: (note: no more than 4, along west map edge)

Flee points (0,10) (0,28) (0,42) (0,61)

[random_rail]

Hmm....Early intelligence reports indicate that a night attack would be most beneficial for the US.....Hmmm....

[GenChaos33]

Some nice slow US transports sounds like a very tasty meal.......

[random_rail]

Without air cover it's all a very tasty meal.....lol

[GenChaos33]

battle ready to begin.........

[RahRunner]

Should be no prob invading Yap. Just keep the transports protected from air attacks. GC doesn't have many bombers with the CVLs. I predict only some damaged ships. Good luck and do not lose any ships!

[random_rail]

Preliminary results in, I'll let GC put the final score up. I need the help of the War Department to get screen shots uploaded.[:(]

[GenChaos33]

****** NEWS FLASH *******
 
Yap is captured by the US! No capital ships were lost or damaged by either side.
 
************************
 
IJN Comments: My goal in this scenario was to target the surface fleets and only attack the transports if they were the only target in range. Random_Rail played the scenario perfectly. Yap was invaded and no capital ships damaged/sunk.
 
FROM MY POINT OF VIEW OF THE BATTLE, R_R suckered me good with his surface TGs. Just after spotting US surface fleets due east of Yap in the afternoon of day 3, I send a late day airstrike and only get 1 hit on a CA for only minor damage which eventually gets fully repaired. As the night rolls into morning, I assume the surface fleets will continue west covering the transports(which still have not been spotted) and keep my fleets SE of Yap.  But R_R pulls a fast one and retreats the surface fleets during the night back east. So as the morning turns to afternoon with no surface fleet sightings, it finally becomes clear that to me that the surface TGs are gone. Then just at that moment, enemy transports are spotted just NE of Yap. A total of 2 airstrikes are sent before the transports start invading. The first airstrike reaches the target and gets a few hits on the APs. The second airstrike either had a bad spotting contact or entered clouds, and was unable to find the target & RTB'ed. Two more airstrikes are sent against the transports which are now already invading. One AP is sunk and the other 2 APs receive light damage. But by this time, its too late. All troops unloaded. I spend the next few days searching the waters far E & SE for surface TGs but find none. Then I retreat off west mapedge. 

[random_rail]

 

[random_rail]

My screen shots aren't nearly as pretty as GC's, but he already had the gist of it.  1 AP sunk, 2 damaged.  1 CA damaged, but lightly and repaired before departing the area.
 
USN Objectives:  Primary objective was to minimize losses among combatants.  I really didn't care if Yap got invaded at all, I was more worried about losing ships at this stage of the campaign when the US has minimal combat forces.  Secondary objective was to shoot up the Japanese carriers if I could get a good handle on their location and be able to close with them in the dark.  I was willing to lose some ships to be able to do this.  Tertiary objective was the actual invasion of Yap.
 
From my view:  I sent my forces westward in 2 parts, the APs to the north, and the Battle Line to the south, about 100 miles apart so as to not be located by the same plane.  I was moving my battle line under a convenient cloud, and spotted a searchplane of GCs while not being able to locate him with my limited scouting abilities.  I sent the battle line east at best speed, and noticed that no search plane was spotted over my APs.  From this I guessed that he was probably SW of Yap.  I retired the battle fleet because I figured I had no chance to close with him (his torpedo planes were carrying iron bombs) and sent the APs on by themselves.  He located them late in the day, and was able to get a couple strikes in on them.  One of them he whacked with 3 fish in one salvo, the others he just maimed.  After unloading I sent them east at best speed, and despite a nearly cloudless sky was able to escape without further harm.    Like I said, I didn't really even care if Yap got invaded, and I wasn't going to risk what is probably 60% of the combat power of the US on an island I have doubts about being able to defend unless we really clean up on the reinforcements next turn.