Matrix Games Forums

TOP SECRET//SI//NOFORN

In late October of 1942, MMWO AdmNelson increased pressure on my base on Lunga by placing a force ashore Rennell Island and rapidly expanding it’s facilities; it never ceases to amaze me how quickly the Allies can build a base. Kido Butai, consisting of the carriers Zuikaku, Soryu, Shokaku, and Hiryu, was tasked with providing a covering force to resupply efforts in the area. On 16 November, while covering supply TFs sent to Lunga, Kido Butai encountered carriers of the US Fleet identified as the Yorktown, Saratoga, and the Hornet; side note, having been sunk in January, the Enterprise was not available for action. Cruising just west of Munda, Kido Butai struck first, and from extended range.
--------------------------------------------------------
11/16/1942
Morning Air attack on TF, near Rennell Island at 112,142
Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 78 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 33 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 63
B5N2 Kate x 54
Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 75

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 10 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 9 destroyed, 15 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 5 destroyed by flak
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3 Wildcat: 3 destroyed

Allied Ships
CV Yorktown, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Laffey
CA Pensacola
CV Hornet
CV Saratoga, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires
CLAA San Diego, Bomb hits 2, on fire
DD Selfridge

Aircraft Attacking:
10 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 5000 feet *
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
14 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 100 feet *
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
11 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 100 feet *
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
4 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 5000 feet *
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb
--------------------------------------------------------

Late in the afternoon after several failed attempts, bombers from Rennell Island pushed through Kido Butai’s CAP and struck home…
-------------------------------------------------------
11/16/1942
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Munda at 110,134

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 78 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 30 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 9
A6M3 Zero x 2
Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 11
SBD-3 Dauntless x 25
TBF-1 Avenger x 15


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
SBD-3 Dauntless: 9 damaged
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 destroyed by flak
TBF-1 Avenger: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
CV Shokaku, Bomb hits 6, on fire, heavy damage
CA Kumano
CV Hiryu
CA Chikuma
CV Zuikaku

Aircraft Attacking:
1 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 3000' *
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 lb GP Bomb
13 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000' *
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 lb GP Bomb
14 x TBF-1 Avenger bombing from 5000 feet *
Naval Attack: 2 x 500 lb SAP Bomb
7 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000' *
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 lb GP Bomb
4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 2000' *
Naval Attack: 1 x 500 lb GP Bomb
-------------------------------------------------------


The Shokaku was left mortally wounded...

Trained in NavB as well as NavT, Kido Butai’s Kates struck the American carriers with devastating results; with decks loaded with aircraft, at least one massive fuel explosion was observed. Considering the resilience of the American carriers, the damage was unlikely to prove fatal, but they were both out of action, for now. Besides, the following day, the SS I-160 rendered the question moot…..
----------------------------------------------------------
11/17/1942
Sub attack near Rennell Island at 112,144

Japanese Ships
SS I-160

Allied Ships
CV Yorktown, Torpedo hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
DD Selfridge

Fuel storage explosion on CV Yorktown
SS I-160 launches 6 torpedoes at CV Yorktown
I-160 diving deep ....
DD Selfridge fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Selfridge fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Selfridge fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Selfridge fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Selfridge fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub

Miraculously, Shokaku’s flotation and engine system’s suffered only minor damage; she was still able to make better than 20 kts! With fires raging through her systems, Shokaku separated from Kido Butai and made “Best Speed” to Shortlands where she entered port; Captain Kato, trusting Shortland’s level 4 port facilities to help fight the fires, got to work.

On 20 November with Shokaku’s fires extinguished, the repair ship Akashi pulled alongside and began work, but something had to be done about Rennell Island; Rennell Island is in easy range of Shortlands, and a single bomb hit to Shokaku would put paid to all our hopes.

While the weakened Kido Butai returned to Truk to make good it’s losses, several small CA TF’s were assembled to bombard Rennell Island. While I had no hopes of seriously damaging the island, these bombardments, along with a greatly increased resupply effort for Lunga, were intended to draw AdmNelson’s attention away from Shortlands.

Do/did you have a Navy HQ at Shortlands?

If you don't, I'd put one there ASAP. Shokaku's Major damage is very small. Get 200, 300 Nav Support there and you should be able to hop her to Rabaul fairly soon. For reference, I once had a CA with ~90 Float damage, but only 23 of it major. I sent 240 Nav Support (2nd Fleet?) to the level 4 Port she was at, and she repaired 3-5 points of minor Float damage per day. [X(] The durability of Shokaku means she'd take longer, but get a lot of Nav Support there and minor damage can be taken off really quickly.

Sorry guys, I blinked! AdmNelson's LBA had started attacking shipping in the area, so it was a matter of time before he attacked Shortlands (I would). I had finished the repairs on all the non-major flotation damage but the system damage was going nowhere, so I pulled Shokaku from repairs and formed an escort TF for the short run to Rabaul; this is where the trouble began.

Not only did the rescue TF refuse to budge, but I was rewarded with a message stating that the Shokaku's pumps were unable to keep up with the flooding as well as increased flooding damage. At this point I briefly considered disbanding the TF, beefing up my air defenses, and hoping for the best, however, any doubts about Shokaku's presence were easily dashed by a B-24 raid.

------------------------------------------------------

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Shortlands at 109,131

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 35 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 8
A6M3 Zero x 2

Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 4

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D Liberator: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
CV Shokaku, heavy damage

Aircraft Attacking:
4 x B-24D Liberator bombing from 10000 feet *
Naval Attack: 5 x 500 lb SAP Bomb

------------------------------------------------------

My Zeros occasionally down these four-engined beasts and seem to throw off their aim, but for the most part they go where they will. Ultimately I decided to press on; the Shokaku rolled over and sank the very next day. I've replayed the combat sequence several times to see if I missed an attack (recon bomb), collision, or grounding; nothing, the Shokaku just filled with water and sank.

So, it is with the deepest of regrets that I must inform the Emperor of the loss of the Shokaku.

Her system damage was waaay to high to move her.

Yes, it was. I did not feel that I could afford to wait for the system damage to be repaired considering the lack of any progress in the past several weeks. I chose wrong.

ORIGINAL: jetjockey

Yes, it was. I did not feel that I could afford to wait for the system damage to be repaired considering the lack of any progress in the past several weeks. I chose wrong.

Ah sorry, didnt want to sound like a smartass.

Yeah, unfortunate set of circumstances for you. Is that still the current situation? Can you get local air superiority over Shortlands? Don't forget to cover the low bands, even if it's with FPs instead of Zeroes. The Shokakus are amazing CVs, I'd do absolutely everything to save that hull if I were in your position.

ORIGINAL: Gräfin Zeppelin

ORIGINAL: jetjockey

Yes, it was. I did not feel that I could afford to wait for the system damage to be repaired considering the lack of any progress in the past several weeks. I chose wrong.

Ah sorry, didnt want to sound like a smartass.

No worries! I had hoped to amaze the "world" with a brilliant save, but instead ended up with just another disappointing loss.

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

Yeah, unfortunate set of circumstances for you. Is that still the current situation? Can you get local air superiority over Shortlands? Don't forget to cover the low bands, even if it's with FPs instead of Zeroes. The Shokakus are amazing CVs, I'd do absolutely everything to save that hull if I were in your position.

Possibly. For what it's worth I've got air superiority over Lunga (not absolute), but that doesn't stop AdmNelson from hitting the airfield/port from time to time. In addition to these Nicks I've got Tojos and Zeros, and I manage to shoot down more than I lose (many if not most of the Nick kills are 4E), but 500# bomb hits are really dampening my airfield expansion. I did not feel that Shokaku would last another 30 days much less the 300+ needed to repair her enough to make the trip back to the home islands; I really was just crossing my fingers that she could make it to Rabaul where she would have stood a much better chance to repair in peace.

Any chance of hopping to Buka? Or even the dot port next door? He's less likely to strike the port of the dot base... If you get a naval HQ there, you could save her yet.

Naw, she's down. Sank the first day out of port; good idea though. In and earlier game I saved the Hiyo in a similar fashion. If memory serves, she was hit with two (three?) British torpedoes from one of those damnable British subs (90+ flotation hits). Fortunately she was but one hex from the island Phuket (0 port at the time?). She beached herself and waited for help to arrive. I had to bring engineers to increase the port level to one so I could off-load her aircraft, but eventually was able to make it to Singapore (under the watchful eye of some 20-30 PCs that is).

Nothing like heroic attempts to save damaged ships (successful or not).

This is part of what makes the game so unique and personal. No grand scale division level game can match such kind of stuff.

I miss playing this game. [:(]

Don't know a ship could sink by system damage [&:] I mean, without fire system won't increase it's not like floatation damage which can increase if you move the ship. But I admit I never moved a ship while something is red.

I see you used AR ship in TF, is it usefull ? Does AR repair ship while in TF ?