Buin or bust

[wpurdom]

As my first game, to jump right in with a safety line, I thought to start a game when I knew the Japanese CV’s weren’t immediately available, Scenario # , with all historical options, including reinforcements.

August - The pressure is on from King to seize the island of Guadalcanal. He assures me that I have a critical instant of opportunity when the Jap CV’s are not in the theater. At the same he wants me to oversee the reinforcement of Port Moresby and defend Milne Bay. I am very dubious. This extends us to the limit of resources leaving us exposed to slashing Jap counterattacks in each alternate position. What will happen in the time to get the airfield on Guadalcanal operational?
Perhaps the bold move is the safer one. I just the garrisons on Shortlands and Buin only somewhat stronger than those on Tulagi and Guadalcanal. If I can withstand the air assault from Rabaul, I can esconce myself in a critical position with an operational size 2 airfield and a substantial port to repair my battle damage right on the spot! The reports I hear suggest that the Bettys and the Nells are really flying gas tanks. I have convinced myself that the experience of shooting them down is just what my pilots need. But in this plan it is critical that I have enough force to quickly seize the objectives, so I will need to divert the forces from New Guinea to make sure the job gets done. Leave the supply and reinforcement of New Guinea to the Air Force.
Of course, this entire course of action would never be authorized. My father used to say that it is easier to ask forgiveness than get permission. I suppose that is true in this case since there is no hope of getting permission and complete success may lead to forgiveness. Anything less and I suspect I will literally become a casualty of the campaign - this flagrant a violation of orders could lead to the firing squad. Of course, there is always the hope that I might take MacArthur and King with me, they are bound to be apopletic when they discover what I have done.

August 1st to 6th The operation gets off to a bad start. The task force commanders obviously didn’t understand my orders - the convoys are full of supplies but I have only the smallest fraction of the 1st Marine Division aboard my ships. I’ll have to be clearer in my loading orders and sequence in the future. (Do you not even tell them to load supplies until all of the troops are on board?) However, its too late for second thoughts now - Buin or bust! I set out with the CV’s and surface TF’s following the transports, in position for immediate support. As a final refinement, I throw caution to the wind and divert the Catalinas from naval search to lifting elements of the Marine paratroop bn. to Taivu and Tassafronga. That way, if all goes according to plan, when I take Lunga on the return trip, I will capture the entire garrison.

August 7th I’ve confined the Japanese garrison to Lunga. We’re starting to approach the target when we are spotted despite the overcast. Suddenly comes a surprising raid of Vals, where did they come from? But it works out for the best since my fighters get lots of firing practice and shoot most of them down (“The Shortlands Turkey Shoot”) before the first raid comes in from Rabaul. Tangling with Zeroes from Rabaul is a tougher, but 57 fighters stacked and ready we hold our own with the fighters and successfully disrupt the attack without damage to our ships. Meanwhile, my dive bombers and torpedo bombers have live target practice against a few small surface ships, sinking two AKs.
Up until now I had been debating a straight dash in to raid Rabaul, but with today’s results I am confident of my ability to hold my own defensively in tomorrow’s attacks. I will stick with the invasion fleet to the beaches and then head for Rabaul. Meanwhile in Guadalcanal, we heading for Lunga overland, bringing in supplies and Aviation base support to Taivu by Catalina.

August 8th Today proceeded largely according to plans. The whether continued iffy and with all my fighters on long-range cap, I covered both invasion sites, the attacks today hit the invasion fleets, missing the CVs. We continued to grind away at the fighters and chop up the bombers. Meanwhile we sunk an AK, a PC, and an AP with our only loss being a PG. (Why did I bring them along, Bait?) A transport hit a mine at Shortlands. I inform King that Operation Watchtower has begun, that heavy air attacks on our invasion fleet have been successfully repulsed, but I neglect to point out to him just where the invasion is proceeding.
August 9th The invasion continues. Shortlands is tougher than I fought and heavily fortified and the attack on Buin did not work as well as I planned. The transports are suffering minor damage at Buin. Am I stuck out on the proverbial limb? Tomorrow’s attack on Rabaul will tell the tale. CVs and BBs to begin approach on Rabaul. My forces are reallocated. One bombardment group, one heavy surface force and one DD surface force under Lee, Scott and Callaghan with the CV escort cut to CLAAs and DDs.
August 10th (night) The most confused surface action of the war. First Lee’s forces encounter a light task force sinking CL Yubari, DDs Mitsukis, Yagari, Yuzuki, Oite and Yunagi. With only light damage to 4 CAs. Next they have target practice with a MSW Then they hit a force of 4-5 CAs, a CL and a DD. Kingasa is heavily damaged with two others with light damage to a BB and several crusiers. The same forces encounter each other again after the Japs break off and inflict further damage, the Kingasa sinks thereafter. Next my DD force rips into the Japs, sinking a DD, damaging 3 CA’s and a CL with damage to 2 USN DD’s. Finally, the DD force sinks another Jap MSW. All my ships have benefitted immensely from the might fighting experience (Cruisers and BB in Lee’s force now with night experience in high 60's).
August 10th (day). With morning CA Kako is sunk by air and further heavy damage inflicted on two CA’s. New Orleans (37-18-20), Vincennes (44-29-13), Chester and Dale (40-18-7) are heavily damaged but the rest of the fleet is in good shape. Surpising and delightful news during the day. The Japs at Shortlands collapse with the loss of 2880 men and 114 guns. Just in time to fix up my crippled ships for the journey to Noumea. Still making no progress at Buin. I will have to reinforce from Shortlands.
It couldn’t be put off any longer. I inform King of the fall of Shortlands and announce to him at the same time the glorious results of the battles around Rabaul. Finally, I tell him that Buin is under attack and that I expect good results with the support of elements of the 3rd Austrailian and 41st U.S. divisions.
August 11-12. Buin still holding out. I have obviously miscalculated. If we had more experience with amphibious campaigns, I’m sure both Shortlands and Buin could have been taken on the 10th. If I had known Buin would hold out, I’m sure I could have managed landing forces along the line of retreat also. Meanwhile, I feel like I need to go ahead with the invasion of Lunga to clean up my supply lines.
August 13th Buin falls. The tanks did it, I think.
August 14th- 15th proceed with pull out of ships as they unload from Shortlands and Buin and invasion of Lunga. My units are going to take a month to straighten out with mishmashes in 3 locations.
The fireworks over my campaign in Washington have been spectacular. Despite his cabled explosions to me, King apparently felt that he had no choice but to support my campaign. After all, he couldn’t switch commanders now without jeopardizing the mission and it gives him everything he wanted - a blunting of the Japanese assault under Navy command, the rationale for increased efforts in the Pacific theater (to save our men), and a chance to undermine MacArthur. Mac is as apopletic as I anticipated, but unfortunately he survived the experience. Even more unfortunately, Marshall despite his coolness to Mac is also absolutely livid. The threat to n independent Army role in the Pacific is difficult enough for him to swallow. But the real sticking point to him is the threat of diversion of effort from the Atlantic to the Pacific. But King countered that we were just adopting Mac’s plan with a slight modification - launching an attack (nearly) straight at Rabaul. King informs me, for reasons which will become apparent, that it took the personal intervention of the President to resolve the matter. FDR called the chiefs together and asked: “what do you expect me to do, give the bases back? The American people would never stand for that. You don’t really expect me to turn MY NAVY over to an General, do you? And knowing General MacArthur as we all do, you don’t really expect him to cooperate wholeheartedly with Admiral Purdom, do you?"
The upshot is that all American ground forces and the 3rd Austrailian Division have been assigned permanently to my campaign and SWPAC Air Force and New Guinea have been assigned to me “temporarily,” for the duration of the emergency. Yet still Mac hasn’t suffered a stroke. Perhaps it is the Medal of Honor that they plan to give him as a consolation prize. All is not sweetness and light, however. “Tell Admiral Purdom,” says FDR, “that if this goes badly, I will assign every lawyer in Washington to pegging a capital charge on him.” And I will help, says King.

August 16th I delayed a little too long pulling the last of my transports out of Shortlands, I’ve picked up supplies I didn’t mean to, and the tankers sucked back up all the fuel I had deposited. Suddenly, from nowhere comes the Japanese CVs with long-range attacks on my fleeing and damaged ships. My first real losses of the campaign are less than they could have been had the attacks come a couple days earlier. Meanwhile a Jap surface fleet, headed by Kongo arrives to bombard Buin. I get two real breaks today. Kongo takes a from a submarine before the bombardment begins and Lunga falls to my first deliberate attack. The Japs have been considerate enough to complete the arifield for me. (I had not realized any need for haste and after Buin’s hard resistance thought my strength insufficient for victory.)
I guess now the real Battle for the Solomons begins. Most of my surface fleet under Lee with full ammo and my carrier fleet under Spruance are both at Lunga. Is an invasion of Buin coming tomorrow? Are my forces within range to block it? Can I maintain my fleet so close to Rabaul in a covering position? Can I bring my supplies and reinforcements to the front without prohibitive losses? (Any advice on routing to avoid subs?) Or is my thinking all wrong. Should I take Buka and hope to swamp Rabaul and any Jap counterattack from 3 dispersed arifields? “He fears his fate too much, or his deserts are samll, who dares not put it to the touch to win or lose it all.” (Then again Montrose was hung. Any thoughts?)

At this point I go on vacation for two weeks, with probably no access to UV in the interim. Is it in time to avoid permanent addiction?)