Sept / Oct 1942 - Reversed Miday
The Mustang was swiftly done - the opening of the battle were "glorious". 20 for the USA and 4 for the Axis.
The top fighters went kaboom the first round.
That left the USA though at an unpleasant -3, and put Japan at a +3. That led to only one result over a bit less than 20 rounds of air combat.
The US Navy suffered greatly in the air battle, managing to slip through only 2 airplanes (a 5 strong and a 3 strong); meanwhile Japan got an amount of them through.
In the process 2 of their 5 strong CVP fighters got aborted and were placed on the weakest carriers they had - Wasp and Ranger. (Decision making here. Your plane on the good carrier with 6 movement, to make it even more appetizing, but having better save? Given as Aborts happen midfight one does not know exactly how it goes til the end).
Japan aborts too in similar way, a 2 sized CVP to the Shinjo (or the Hiyo, one of these crappy, slow moving CVs!)
Once the US has only 3 * 4 strong fighters in the air, they opt to bail. The CVPs are scattered - with a fateful forgetfulness (by both sides, in fairness I'd have warned my opponent of that detail if I realized).
By how they were placed there was no more place to land the bombers that went through!
Japanese AA rolls a 9 (2 lowest of 5); USA AA rolls a 13 (They rolled 3 dives, I do not remember what was the exact pick since it's automated).
US blasts away a land based NAV and shrinks of 3 the bombing ability of Japan.
They still eat a 4X D 2A.
The CV Ranger passes its first save, so their elected cruiser. Then The CV Wasp explodes along its CVP. The cruiser meets its end. CV Ranger is hit again (by the D) and sinks with its CVP. BB Iowa is aborted home.
The IJN suffers 2 aborts, sending home a carrier (the one with the plane that landed) and a cruiser.
US opts to fall back to Pearl Harbour; and move to north of Pearl Harbour in their subsequent impulse all the Essex carriers to provide air cover to Pearl Harbour itself (And the Wildcat from San Diego).
Definitely a grand victory for Japan (which demoralized my opponent as well - nothing new in this situation. I'd have sort of felt the same BUT I would have played safe, got my fleet out of Pearl Harbour in a quiet sea zone, hunt down these Japanese scattered cruisers and be merry. Next turn all the Essex would have been ready and operational in Pearl Harbour).
Though I can see the payoffs of his strategy / gamble, if successful.
He'd have got many more fighters, and definitely air superiority over the Japanese which had already thrown at sea all that they could except 1 carrier (that was ready to join - sent to Truk and reorganized promptly).
Japan litterally had to muster all of their land based FTRs (4 Zeros and 1 twin engined), put 4 NAVs as well ontop of their carriers.
IF he'd have caught me with all the Essex and the previous carriers together, 1 extra Wildcat and 1 extra Mariner (which would have arrived in his phase - was too far to react in the 2 box) - I am sure things would have gone favorably for the US (Assuming the finding is at even surprise like now).
Destroyed Pool
Only the Liberator of all the US units was lost in the ETO.
