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Ever get tired of that Japanese carrier force that likes to visit Ceylon, park four squares from Colombo, and dare the surface fleet to come out?

what British sailors dreamed of:

Day Time Surface Combat, near Koggala at 30,52, Range 1,000 Yards

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
CV Zuikaku, Shell hits 14, and is sunk
CVL Ryujo, Shell hits 1, heavy fires
CVL Shoho, Shell hits 26, and is sunk
CVL Zuiho
BB Haruna, Shell hits 12
BB Kirishima, Shell hits 16, heavy fires
CA Maya, Shell hits 3, on fire
DD Akigumo
DD Tanikaze, Shell hits 4, on fire
DD Shirayuki
DD Asagiri
DD Yugiri
DD Hokaze, Shell hits 3, on fire
DD Fuyo, Shell hits 3, and is sunk
DD Tawakaze, Shell hits 3, on fire
CA Tokiwa
CL Nishiki
CL Hirado

Allied Ships
BB Revenge
BB Ramillies
BB Resolution, Shell hits 79, and is sunk
CA Cornwall, Shell hits 5, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
CL Ceres
CL Newcastle, Shell hits 9, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
CL Caledon, Shell hits 1
DD Hotspur
DD Jupiter
DD Paladin, Shell hits 17, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk



Reduced visibility due to Thunderstorms...
Maximum visibility in Thunderstorms: 3,000 yards...
Range closes to 25,000 yards......
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 25,000 yards...
Range closes to 20,000 yards......
Range closes to 15,000 yards......
Range closes to 10,000 yards......
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 10,000 yards...
Range closes to 5,000 yards......
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 5,000 yards...
Range closes to 1,000 yards......
CV Zuikaku sunk by BB Resolution at 1,000 yards...
CVL Shoho sunk by BB Resolution at 1,000 yards...
BB Resolution engages BB Kirishima at 1,000 yards...
BB Haruna engages CL Newcastle at 1,000 yards...
CL Hirado engages BB Resolution at 1,000 yards...
BB Resolution engages CL Nishiki at 1,000 yards...
DD Fuyo engages CL Newcastle at 1,000 yards...
DD Hokaze engages CL Newcastle at 1,000 yards...
BB Resolution engages DD Asagiri at 1,000 yards...
CA Cornwall sunk by DD Tanikaze at 1,000 yards...
Range increases to 2,000 yards...
BB Kirishima engages BB Resolution at 2,000 yards...
BB Resolution engages CVL Ryujo at 2,000 yards...
BB Resolution sunk by BB Kirishima at 2,000 yards...
CL Newcastle sunk by CA Tokiwa at 2,000 yards...
CA Maya engages CL Ceres at 2,000 yards...
DD Paladin engages DD Tanikaze at 2,000 yards...
DD Tawakaze engages DD Paladin at 2,000 yards...
DD Fuyo engages DD Paladin at 2,000 yards...
DD Paladin engages DD Hokaze at 2,000 yards...
DD Paladin engages DD Asagiri at 2,000 yards...
DD Akigumo engages DD Paladin at 2,000 yards...
Range increases to 8,000 yards...
BB Kirishima engages BB Revenge at 8,000 yards...
BB Kirishima engages CL Caledon at 8,000 yards...
DD Paladin sunk by DD Asagiri at 8,000 yards...
BB Ramillies engages CA Maya at 8,000 yards...
DD Hotspur engages DD Tawakaze at 8,000 yards...
DD Fuyo sunk by DD Hotspur at 8,000 yards...
Japanese Task Force Manages to Escape...
Task forces break off......

Followed by the second task force:

Day Time Surface Combat, near Koggala at 30,52, Range 2,000 Yards

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
CVL Ryujo, Shell hits 15, and is sunk
CVL Zuiho
BB Haruna, Shell hits 1
BB Kirishima, Shell hits 12, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
CA Maya, Shell hits 9, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Akigumo
DD Tanikaze, on fire
DD Shirayuki
DD Asagiri, Shell hits 4
DD Yugiri, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Hokaze, Shell hits 12, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Tawakaze, Shell hits 1, on fire
CA Tokiwa, Shell hits 2
CL Nishiki
CL Hirado, Shell hits 3, on fire

Allied Ships
BB Prince of Wales, Shell hits 32, on fire
BC Repulse, Shell hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
CA Dorsetshire
CA Exeter, Shell hits 8, and is sunk
CL Capetown, Shell hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
CL Colombo
DD Arrow
DD Griffin, Shell hits 3, heavy fires
DD Isis, Shell hits 5
DD Panther, Shell hits 4, on fire



Reduced visibility due to Thunderstorms...
Maximum visibility in Thunderstorms: 3,000 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......
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 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......
Range closes to 8,000 yards......
Range closes to 6,000 yards......
Range closes to 4,000 yards......
Range closes to 2,000 yards......
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 2,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 2,000 yards...
Willis, A.N. crosses the 'T'...
BB Kirishima engages BB Prince of Wales at 2,000 yards...
CVL Ryujo sunk by BB Prince of Wales at 2,000 yards...
BB Prince of Wales engages BB Kirishima at 2,000 yards...
CA Tokiwa engages BB Prince of Wales at 2,000 yards...
BB Prince of Wales engages CA Maya at 2,000 yards...
DD Panther engages DD Tawakaze at 2,000 yards...
DD Isis engages DD Tawakaze at 2,000 yards...
BB Kirishima sunk by DD Griffin at 2,000 yards...
DD Yugiri engages DD Panther at 2,000 yards...
BB Prince of Wales engages CA Maya at 2,000 yards...
CA Tokiwa engages BC Repulse at 2,000 yards...
CA Exeter engages CA Maya at 2,000 yards...
CA Maya engages CA Exeter at 2,000 yards...
CL Hirado engages CA Exeter at 2,000 yards...
CA Maya engages CL Capetown at 2,000 yards...
DD Tawakaze engages DD Griffin at 2,000 yards...
DD Hokaze engages DD Isis at 2,000 yards...
DD Hokaze engages DD Griffin at 2,000 yards...
DD Isis engages DD Asagiri at 2,000 yards...
DD Tanikaze engages DD Panther at 2,000 yards...
Range increases to 5,000 yards...
CA Maya engages BB Prince of Wales at 5,000 yards...
BB Haruna engages BC Repulse at 5,000 yards...
CA Exeter sunk by CA Maya at 5,000 yards...
CA Maya engages CA Dorsetshire at 5,000 yards...
CL Colombo engages CL Hirado at 5,000 yards...
CL Capetown engages CA Tokiwa at 5,000 yards...
DD Asagiri engages DD Panther at 5,000 yards...
DD Asagiri engages DD Isis at 5,000 yards...
DD Yugiri engages DD Griffin at 5,000 yards...
DD Asagiri engages DD Griffin at 5,000 yards...
DD Akigumo engages DD Panther at 5,000 yards...
Range increases to 7,000 yards...
BB Haruna engages BB Prince of Wales at 7,000 yards...
BC Repulse engages BB Haruna at 7,000 yards...
CL Hirado engages CA Dorsetshire at 7,000 yards...
CL Colombo engages CA Maya at 7,000 yards...
CL Capetown engages CA Tokiwa at 7,000 yards...
CL Nishiki engages CL Colombo at 7,000 yards...
DD Yugiri engages DD Isis at 7,000 yards...
DD Tawakaze engages DD Griffin at 7,000 yards...
DD Isis engages DD Yugiri at 7,000 yards...
DD Asagiri engages DD Panther at 7,000 yards...
Japanese Task Force Manages to Escape...
Task forces break off......

And then the Fleet Air Arm and RAF weighed in after the morning air strikes didn't go so well:

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Koggala at 30,52

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 23 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 1



Allied aircraft
Albacore I x 9
Buffalo I x 8
Hurricane I Trop x 10


No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Albacore I: 1 destroyed, 8 damaged

Japanese Ships
BB Haruna, Torpedo hits 2, heavy damage



Aircraft Attacking:
8 x Albacore I launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 1 x 18in Mk XII Torpedo
7 x Buffalo I sweeping at 10000 feet
10 x Hurricane I Trop sweeping at 10000 feet

CAP engaged:
Zuiho-1 with A6M2 Zero (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
0 plane(s) not yet engaged, 1 being recalled, 0 out of immediate contact.
Group patrol altitude is 7000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 4 minutes



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Koggala at 30,52

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 48 NM, estimated altitude 4,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 31 minutes


Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 14
Vildebeest III x 7


Allied aircraft losses
Vildebeest III: 7 damaged

Japanese Ships
DD Tawakaze
CA Maya, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage



Aircraft Attacking:
7 x Vildebeest III bombing from 1000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 500 lb GP Bomb

Carrier support unable to supply air cover.....
Heavy smoke from fires obscuring a Japanese CA...

And then on the next day:

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR Apr 25, 42
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Koggala at 30,52, Range 6,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CVL Zuiho
DD Akigumo, Shell hits 9, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Tanikaze
DD Asagiri
CA Tokiwa, Shell hits 18, and is sunk
CL Nishiki, Shell hits 1
CL Hirado, Shell hits 12, and is sunk

Allied Ships
BB Revenge, Shell hits 6, Torpedo hits 1
BB Ramillies, Shell hits 7
CA Dorsetshire
CL Ceres, Shell hits 1
CL Caledon
CL Colombo, Shell hits 3
DD Hotspur
DD Jupiter



Low visibility due to Rain with 75% moonlight...
Maximum visibility in Rain and 75% moonlight: 6,000 yards...
Range closes to 10,000 yards......
Range closes to 8,000 yards......
Range closes to 6,000 yards......
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 6,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 6,000 yards...
Willis, A.N. crosses the 'T'...
CA Tokiwa engages BB Ramillies at 6,000 yards...
CA Tokiwa engages BB Revenge at 6,000 yards...
BB Ramillies engages CL Hirado at 6,000 yards...
BB Ramillies engages CL Nishiki at 6,000 yards...
Range closes to 5,000 yards...
BB Ramillies engages CA Tokiwa at 5,000 yards...
CA Tokiwa engages BB Revenge at 5,000 yards...
CA Dorsetshire engages CL Hirado at 5,000 yards...
CL Colombo engages CL Nishiki at 5,000 yards...
CL Nishiki engages CL Caledon at 5,000 yards...
BB Revenge engages DD Tanikaze at 5,000 yards...
DD Jupiter engages DD Akigumo at 5,000 yards...
Range closes to 2,000 yards...
CL Hirado sunk by BB Ramillies at 2,000 yards...
CA Tokiwa sunk by BB Revenge at 2,000 yards...
CL Nishiki engages CL Colombo at 2,000 yards...
CL Nishiki engages CL Ceres at 2,000 yards...
BB Revenge engages DD Akigumo at 2,000 yards...
Range increases to 6,000 yards...
BB Ramillies engages CVL Zuiho at 6,000 yards...
BB Revenge engages CVL Zuiho at 6,000 yards...
CA Dorsetshire engages CVL Zuiho at 6,000 yards...
CL Colombo engages CVL Zuiho at 6,000 yards...
DD Jupiter engages DD Akigumo at 6,000 yards...
Range increases to 10,000 yards...
BB Ramillies engages CVL Zuiho at 10,000 yards...
BB Revenge engages CL Nishiki at 10,000 yards...
DD Asagiri engages DD Jupiter at 10,000 yards...
CL Colombo engages CVL Zuiho at 10,000 yards...
DD Jupiter engages DD Akigumo at 10,000 yards...
Japanese Task Force Manages to Escape...
Task forces break off......


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Koggala at 30,53, Range 2,000 Yards

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
No Japanese losses

Japanese Ships
CA Maya, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
DD Yugiri, Shell hits 2
DD Tawakaze

Allied Ships
BB Revenge, Shell hits 2
BB Ramillies, Shell hits 9
CA Dorsetshire
CL Ceres
CL Caledon, Shell hits 3
CL Colombo, Shell hits 2
DD Hotspur, Shell hits 1
DD Jupiter



Low visibility due to Rain with 75% moonlight...
Maximum visibility in Rain and 75% moonlight: 2,000 yards...
Range closes to 11,000 yards......
Range closes to 10,000 yards......
Range closes to 9,000 yards......
Range closes to 8,000 yards......
Range closes to 7,000 yards......
Range closes to 6,000 yards......
Range closes to 5,000 yards......
Range closes to 4,000 yards......
Range closes to 3,000 yards......
Range closes to 2,000 yards......
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 2,000 yards...
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 2,000 yards...
DD Tawakaze engages DD Hotspur at 2,000 yards...
DD Yugiri engages DD Hotspur at 2,000 yards...
CL Colombo engages CA Maya at 2,000 yards...
DD Yugiri engages BB Ramillies at 2,000 yards...
BB Revenge engages DD Yugiri at 2,000 yards...
CL Colombo engages DD Yugiri at 2,000 yards...
CL Caledon engages DD Yugiri at 2,000 yards...
Japanese Task Force Manages to Escape...
Task forces break off......

I swear, I will never do apost again complaining the "weather is always bad" weahter model [:'(]

[:D][:D][:D]

Well the DD's continue to not do screening...

Had the same problem, deployed the same solution, in similar weather and got similar results. You did better than I did. I only sunk 1 CV and mauled another. Post patch these things stopped happening. Another spoiler. The same thing is going toa happen off Brisbane. Sometime in MAy or June a CV task force is going to park 3 hexes off Brisbane to prevent you from reinforcing Port Morseby. Got a CV and CVL there too.

ORIGINAL: Dili

Well the DD's continue to not do screening...

I agree, contact at 3000 yards and BB stumbles upon CV... Where were the screening DDs?
If visibility is that bad (3000 yards) then the first ship to go down should be escorting DD that is in the outer circle of the formation, on the side of approaching British surface TF.
Japanese air combat TF had 14 escorts, yet the first two ships engaged were CVs... BB Resolution just appeared in the middle of air combat TF?

The IJN neds their own versions of the Hoel and Johnston.

this happened after applying patch and hotfix in mid game. Game was started on the beta patch. I never bother to notice what that affects, or doesnt.

What with the commerce raiders in the Pacific causing me to escort everyone around, and Guard Pearl, I don't have the ships to go slug it out with those carriers. But everything that floats is gone long ago, or docked behind all of my fighters.

ORIGINAL: JohnDillworth

Had the same problem, deployed the same solution, in similar weather and got similar results. You did better than I did. I only sunk 1 CV and mauled another. Post patch these things stopped happening. Another spoiler. The same thing is going toa happen off Brisbane. Sometime in MAy or June a CV task force is going to park 3 hexes off Brisbane to prevent you from reinforcing Port Morseby. Got a CV and CVL there too.

The BB's didn't stumble. Had them on radar from 25k yards and moved in for the kill. And the two vice-admirals running the two TF's were highly rated leaders.

I don't watch the animations. Would that tell me if the destroyer screen was sunk first? Or is the combat report in order of first ship fired upon?

ORIGINAL: Djordje

ORIGINAL: Dili

Well the DD's continue to not do screening...

I agree, contact at 3000 yards and BB stumbles upon CV... Where were the screening DDs?
If visibility is that bad (3000 yards) then the first ship to go down should be escorting DD that is in the outer circle of the formation, on the side of approaching British surface TF.
Japanese air combat TF had 14 escorts, yet the first two ships engaged were CVs... BB Resolution just appeared in the middle of air combat TF?

ORIGINAL: Central Blue

The BB's didn't stumble. Had them on radar from 25k yards and moved in for the kill. And the two vice-admirals running the two TF's were highly rated leaders.

I don't watch the animations. Would that tell me if the destroyer screen was sunk first? Or is the combat report in order of first ship fired upon?

Watching animations would tell you that, and yes, combat report tells it as well, in the order things happened. So:

CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 10,000 yards...
Range closes to 5,000 yards......
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 5,000 yards...
Range closes to 1,000 yards......
CV Zuikaku sunk by BB Resolution at 1,000 yards...
CVL Shoho sunk by BB Resolution at 1,000 yards...
BB Resolution engages BB Kirishima at 1,000 yards...
BB Haruna engages CL Newcastle at 1,000 yards...

This means that BB resolution was in the middle of Japanese TF, 1000 yards away from CV Zuikaku, CV Shoho and BB Kirishima when it opened fire... The question is how did it manage to get there, without stumbling into some DD or CL that were supposed to be around, forming a circle around the most important ships. And there were lots of escorts, more than average for Japanese TF.

At that time of the war radar was hardly reliable, and could not really be used to sneak in large surface TF through DD screen directly into the middle of enemy TF. That's why screen is there in the first place, to take punishment and detect incoming threats.

thanks. I am familiar with the screening concept from playing Harpoon. But thats a different game. I have no idea how Japanese formations would have been organized in foul weather during WWII

I just know it was fun to send so many ships to the bottom.

ORIGINAL: Djordje

ORIGINAL: Central Blue

The BB's didn't stumble. Had them on radar from 25k yards and moved in for the kill. And the two vice-admirals running the two TF's were highly rated leaders.

I don't watch the animations. Would that tell me if the destroyer screen was sunk first? Or is the combat report in order of first ship fired upon?

Watching animations would tell you that, and yes, combat report tells it as well, in the order things happened. So:

CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 10,000 yards...
Range closes to 5,000 yards......
CONTACT: Allies radar detects Japanese task force at 5,000 yards...
Range closes to 1,000 yards......
CV Zuikaku sunk by BB Resolution at 1,000 yards...
CVL Shoho sunk by BB Resolution at 1,000 yards...
BB Resolution engages BB Kirishima at 1,000 yards...
BB Haruna engages CL Newcastle at 1,000 yards...

This means that BB resolution was in the middle of Japanese TF, 1000 yards away from CV Zuikaku, CV Shoho and BB Kirishima when it opened fire... The question is how did it manage to get there, without stumbling into some DD or CL that were supposed to be around, forming a circle around the most important ships. And there were lots of escorts, more than average for Japanese TF.

At that time of the war radar was hardly reliable, and could not really be used to sneak in large surface TF through DD screen directly into the middle of enemy TF. That's why screen is there in the first place, to take punishment and detect incoming threats.

At that time of the war radar was hardly reliable, and could not really be used to sneak in large surface TF through DD screen directly into the middle of enemy TF. That's why screen is there in the first place, to take punishment and detect incoming threat

At Matapan the RN opened fire at 3500 meters! using radar, the interesting queston is where were the other two RN battleships in the first battle !

I saw the same thing. As it was, since they hadn't used any ammo, I was able to transfer them into the Willis task force that ran through the retreating Japanese units in the subsequent night turn.

VADM Somerville had his flag on the Resolution, but seemed to survive her demise.

I don't think I have a save that would allow me to see the original Japanese commander, but I sure am curious.


Wikipedia on the type 273:

Type 273
Type Aerial outfit Peak power (kW) Frequency (MHz) Wavelength (mm) In service
273 AQN 90 2,997 100 1941

"Centimetric Mark IV" target indication set. This set was based on the Type 271, but was intended for major warships of cruiser and battleship size. It used side-by-side 3 feet (910 mm) wide cheese antennas that were carried in a distinctive protective perspex "lantern". In the Battle of the North Cape, HMS Duke of York identified the target of Scharnhorst at 45,000 yards (41,000 m) using her Type 273 set [3].

I suspect that the guy at the set makes all the difference.

ORIGINAL: Hipper

At that time of the war radar was hardly reliable, and could not really be used to sneak in large surface TF through DD screen directly into the middle of enemy TF. That's why screen is there in the first place, to take punishment and detect incoming threat

At Matapan the RN opened fire at 3500 meters! using radar, the interesting queston is where were the other two RN battleships in the first battle !

IT`s been talked about before 1,000 yards ship battles are a joke and there should be a auto min range to stop ships getting so close, so this does not happen.[:-]

(note i am using the finger now)

Tiger!

ORIGINAL: tigercub

IT`s been talked about before 1,000 yards ship battles are a joke and there should be a auto min range to stop ships getting so close, so this does not happen.[:-]

(note i am using the finger now)

Tiger!

Ahem.... First Guadalcanal?

The chance should be EXTREMELY rare, but I wouldn't completely rule out the option of it happening.

Get your long list of Battles that will happen if its not changed and con pair that to the one time in world ww2 when it did happen Alla  First Guadalcanal.

Tiger!

Well we all know that B-25's can't launch combat sorties from a Yorktown Class CV either.

Whipple

ORIGINAL: tigercub

Get your long list of Battles that will happen if its not changed and con pair that to the one time in world ww2 when it did happen Alla  First Guadalcanal.

Tiger!

First off I said it should be extremely rare.

Second off, in reality it happened once, but reality only happened once. There will be probably thousands of games played and the chances of that happening again over thousands of times will start to add up, so yes you will see a long list of them eventually, after enough games have been played.

I have now only played 10 days and it has happen to me all ready.

It needs still to be looked at but it is better now than it has ever been before.(poor weather =1,000 yards the odds are very high)

Tiger

There will be fewer 1000 yd encounters in patch 2.