The Solomons Campaign 2017

Started by paulr, 16 July 2017, 12:03:26 AM

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paulr

Definitely a more active month, a carrier action this Saturday :-SS :-SS :-SS

Based on our experience last time we ran the campaign this could get very messy very quickly X_X X_X X_X
Lord Lensman of Wellington
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Duke Speedy of Leighton

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kipt

We played this campaign at the beginning of the year. Allied win as the Japanese could not get a Henderson assault to go in. The weather never let the Japanese use their superior spotting to launch the Long Lance torps.

We called it quits in month 5 I think.   Frustrating weather conditions; fog and squalls passing through all the time.

Losses were:
BB - Allied 2 sunk, 1 damaged; IJN 1 sunk, 1 crippled, 1 damaged
CV - Allied 1 sunk; IJN 1 sunk, 1 damaged
AVP - Allied 1 crippled; IJN 1 sunk
CA - Allied 2 sunk, 3 crippled, 8 damaged; IJN 11 sunk, 1 damaged
CL - Allied 2 sunk, 3 damaged; IJN 6 sunk, 1 crippled, 3 damaged
DD - Allied 21 sunk, 2 crippled, 7 damaged; IJN 29 sunk, 6 crippled, 2 damaged
Subs - Allied 1 sunk; IJN 1 sunk, 1 damaged
AP's - Allied 5 sunk, 1 crippled; IJN 3 sunk
PT's - Allied 6 sunk
Aircraft - Allied 26 flights lost; IJN 20 flights lost.

We used GQIII.

paulr

Shame about the weather :(

Pretty heavy loses, lots of short range actions I guess :o

It will be interesting to see how tonight's carrier battle goes :-SS :-SS :-SS
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paulr

Earlier this week I received the following from Pierre the Shy, who is kindly umpiring our Solomons campaign.

0830 Somewhere just North of the Solomons XX September 1942

The weather is Mostly Clear (50%) with 2 could layers from 8000' upwards Moderate wind (Force 4) from S.

Adm Fletcher receives 2 messages:

1. sighting report from a SBD search flight:
"Japanese Carriers sighted......100nm East of your position Speed 24 Course SE.
Estimate force to contain 3 CV, 1 CVL, 6 CA, 12 DD. CAP flying overhead"

2. "CIC reports lone bogey detected to East of our position, contact faded before interception possible"

You can either launch a strike with up to 80% of your available flights or wait till the next "round".

You cannot use your assigned CAP in the first strike or launch additional CAP unless an inbound enemy strike is detected.

Orders please.


This lead to the carrier battle we fought last night. As both the Japanese and Americans had decided to launch immediate strikes we diced and the Americans got to play out their attack first. The Japanese reply will happen in a couple of weeks.

The lead aircraft of the American strike arrived to find that the initial report had been inaccurate. The Japanese force consisted of 2 CV, 2 BB, 4 CA and about 8 DD with almost 40 Zeros circling overhead.

The strike had become somewhat disorganised and the initial wave consisted of 6 Wildcats, 14 Dauntless and 12 Avengers from one carrier and another 12 Avengers from the other carrier.

The Wildcats were immediately engaged by one flight of Zeros while the remaining Zeros attacked the Dauntless and Avengers. The remaining 12 Dauntless from the first carrier then arrived and were set upon by those Zeros that still had ammunition.

Four Avengers, that had survived the Zeros, attacked the lead Japanese carrier from the port and starboard bows. The Japanese AA gunners managed to bring down the two on the port side but one of the torpedoes from the starboard side struck home. The two surviving Avengers flew at wave top height avoiding AA fire from the supporting Japanese destroyers as they made good their escape.

At the same time the two Avengers that had managed to get through from the other carrier launched an attack from astern the second Japanese carrier, both torpedoes ... missed.

Of the 26 Dauntless that attacked only six got past the Zeros and four of those were shot down or damaged by AA fire. The two survivors managed to hit the second Japanese carrier with a 1,000lb bomb forward.

As the Japanese were sorting themselves out another wave of Americans arrived, 8 Wildcats and 28 Dauntless from the second US carrier. With the Zeros all out of ammunition the Wildcats moved in to suppress the AA guns on the lead Japanese carrier while half the Dauntless attacked scoring 2 hits with 1,000lb bombs. The remaining Dauntless attacked the second Japanese carrier but without support from Wildcats suffered more casualties and managed only near misses.

Overall the lead Japanese carrier had suffered one torpedo and two 1,000lb bomb hits while the second had suffered one 1,000lb bomb hit. About 20 out of the 40 Zeros had been destroyed or damaged. The lead carrier is probably crippled and will be out of action for at least two months

The cost in American aircraft and crews had been high. The first carrier had 24 aircraft destroyed and 16 damaged out of a strike of 44 aircraft. Only 4 returned undamaged.

The second carrier had fared better as most of its aircraft had arrived after the Zeros had run out of ammunition. They still had 14 aircraft destroyed and 6 damaged out of a strike of 48 aircraft. 28 returned undamaged.

We will find out what the American aircraft return to in a couple of weeks when we fight out the Japanese strike on the American carriers.
Lord Lensman of Wellington
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pierre the shy

Well thats the USN official version of last nights events...the IJN dont subscribe to this board but as umpire l can't comment further on the accuracy of the claims made... ;)
Though much is taken, much abides; and though
we are not now that strength which in old days
moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are.

paulr

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paulr

Quote from: paulr on 30 July 2017, 02:26:59 AM
We will find out what the American aircraft return to in a couple of weeks when we fight out the Japanese strike on the American carriers.

Tonight is the night, have the Americans got a large enough CAP (Combat Air Patrol), how effective will the AA fire be, just how big is the Japanese strike and how well coordinated will it be :-SS :-SS :-SS :-SS :-SS
Lord Lensman of Wellington
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Ace of Spades

I don't know if anybody has read 'Neptune's Inferno' by James D. Hornfischer, but on the naval campaigns around Guadalcanal I would thouroughly recommend it!
From the strategic level right down to the blood and guts covered decks gets covered and written in a very comprehensable and exciting way.

Cheers,
Rob
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paulr

Thanks for the recommendation AoS
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paulr

Have the Americans got a large enough CAP (Combat Air Patrol)
NO!!!
Four Wildcats managed to break through the first wave of Zeros and attack a flight of Vals. They were promptly shot down or driven off damaged by the Vals' defensive fire
The rest of the Wildcats were shot down or driven off damaged by the Zeros

How effective will the AA fire be
Initially very effective but fell of quickly as the American dice rolls turned bad :( and the Japanese coordination improved X_X

Just how big is the Japanese strike
Huge :o :o :o

How well coordinated will it be
Initial attacks on the carriers were not coordinated with other attacks and so were shot down by concentrated fire from the carriers and supporting cruisers and destroyers

The middle waves were supported by strafing zeros and dive bombed the supporting cruisers while Kates made their torpedo runs on the carriers
None of the cruisers were hit but both American carriers took multiple torpedo hits :o X_X

The final wave with only a few Kates and Vals and no supporting Zeros (the survivors were out of ammo) had limited success #:-S
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Duke Speedy of Leighton

Still sounds like a painful night for the Yanks!!!
You may refer to me as: Your Grace, Duke Speedy of Leighton.
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paulr

The carrier clash was the only engagement for September, one Japanese bombardment force managed to fire on Henderson Field

We have started the October turn and the US Marines have conducted a reconnaissance in force, the Japanese are better prepared than the Marines had hoped :-S
Will the Japanese assault Henderson Field this month :-\ :-SS :-SS
The US had to make some difficult command decisions this month :-SS :-SS :-SS

Peter will let us know the first engagement we need to fight soon :-SS :-w

That engagement will have to wait until we finish the May 1940 game we started last night
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Duke Speedy of Leighton

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paulr

The first engagement of the October turn has been revealed

US forces to the southeast of Savo Island have detected ships close to Tassafaronga, they are too far away to determine numbers or types as yet. It looks like the Tokyo Express might have arrived

We will fight this night action once we have finished our current May 1940 game
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