The Solomons Campaign 2017

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

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pierre the shy

01 October 2017, 12:25:24 PM #75 Last Edit: 01 October 2017, 12:28:36 PM by pierre the shy
Opps - time to go  ;)
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.

d_Guy

Just getting caught up. Great thread! (and battle reports from multiple angles with many joining in - nice!)  I second what Norm said.

Read Morrison's "Two Ocean War" some forty years ago and could sooooo get into this! But alas, etc, etc...  :)
Sleep with clean hands ...

paulr

Navwar 1/3,000 ships are nice models and inexpensive, the ordering system is old school but he is very prompt and reasonably accommodating :) :d

Quote from: pierre the shy on 01 October 2017, 12:20:51 PM
This time the Japanese did manage to fly off one additional flight of A6M's from each carrier as they sighted the incoming strike some distance away. However their assigned CAP patrols were not numerous enough to hold off the American strike.

I did wonder why he had a couple of flights at lower altitude

Quote
The carriers were Junyo class.....but we used Shokaku class models since no Junyo class ones were available, hence the confusion.

I thought the confusion added a realistic touch :) And no I'm not planning on buying anymore ships at the moment  ;)

Quote
The campaign supplement is written for use with GQ3 rules but we are using GQ2 which has a fundamentally different air and AA system to GQ3. The Japanese were understandably not happy with the result, though they choose to have a small initial CAP. While GQ1/2 is a very good set for surface actions last night showed that the air and AA systems have their limits shall we say  :-\

There is a fairly high level of abstraction in the air and AA system but I think they give reasonably historic results, sometimes for the wrong reasons.

QuoteThere will be at least one more action in the October 1942 phase.....
:-SS :-SS :-SS

Quote from: Norm on 01 October 2017, 08:30:28 AM
Paul, thanks for the continuing narrative, the best ongoing topic posting that I have followed in a long time.

Thanks Norm & d_Guy
The campaign system generates some really interesting, if sometimes one sided, battles. It confronts the commanders with stark choices and has very limited paper work :)
Lord Lensman of Wellington
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paulr

2345 12 November 1942, a US patrol in Iron Bottom Sound has detected multiple radar contacts to NNW  :-SS :-SS :-SS

Our umpire has other commitments this week so it will probably be next week before we can fight this one out
We'll keep busy with an Ancients game, Romans v Britons
Lord Lensman of Wellington
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paulr

Ancients game only half way through so another week of suspense :-SS :-SS

Romans currently leading 1-0 but their left wing is looking a bit dodgy
Lord Lensman of Wellington
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paulr

Ancients game finished, one of the tightest ancients games we have had :)

The dodgy Roman left became demoralised but with a bit of help from the center managed to kill enough warband to break the British right.
Romans 2 Britians 1 for a Roman home win, a couple more Roman loses and it would have been 2-1 the otherway  #:-S

Another Baroque test game next week so the US patrol will have to wait nervously a little longer :-w :-SS
Lord Lensman of Wellington
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pierre the shy

We finally played the next campaign encounter last night......another night action around Savo Island between a Japanese bombardment force made up of 5 heavy cruisers plus 3 destroyer divisions and a US patrol force with 2 battleships, 4 heavy cruisers and a destroyer flotilla. 

Looked rather one sided for most of the game but ended up as a somewhat Phyrric victory to the Americans after the Japanese managed to hit the Washington with two Long Lance torpedoes with one of their final torpedo salvos. Washington is heading back to port for major repairs that will take some months to complete which means she is out of the campaign. To balance this out the Japanese had 3 heavy cruisers sunk outright by 16" fire from the Washington and South Dakota.

I'm sure the USN press release will be available soon with a more detailed report  ;)       
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.

Duke Speedy of Leighton

Sounds like one hell of a scrap!
You may refer to me as: Your Grace, Duke Speedy of Leighton.
2016 Pendraken Painting Competion Participation Prize  (Lucky Dip Catagory) Winner

paulr

It was a hell of a scrap, great fun for the Americans  :)
Until the end  :o X_X :'(

The US Battleships thought they were fairly safe as they were over 8,000 yards from the Japanese destroyers and maneuvering fairly radically...
More to come in the USN press release ;)
Lord Lensman of Wellington
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paulr

United States Navy Press Release - November 4, 1942

US forces to the south south east of Savo Island detected ships approaching between Savo and Cape Esperance. They were too far away to determine numbers or types as yet. It looks like the Tokyo Express might have arrived.

The US task force learning from the lessons of the last engagement with the Tokyo Express deployed in one task group of seven destroyers, two battleships and four heavy cruisers. The plan was for the superior radar of the battleships to detect the enemy and allow the task force to deploy favourably.

The weather was good. The cloudless sky revealed the moon and visibility was 16,000 yards reducing the Allied radar advantage.

As the task force headed south west at 15 knots initial radar reports indicated that two initial contacts were ghosts, then three 'small' Japanese ships were detected with more probable ships further north west. As the task force began accelerating radar reports of individual 'large' Japanese ships started to come in.

Out of the darkness the US battleships and lead destroyers spotted two Japanese heavy cruisers. The Washington immediately opened fire on the leading Japanese heavy cruiser. The Japanese reacted slowly not aware of the American approach.

The US battleships turned north towards Savo Island to open their firing arcs. As the second US destroyer division fell into line astern with the leading division the first two US destroyers were caught in the glare of Japanese star shells. Both destroyers were hit hard by 8" shells and the Balch was stopped by a critical hit to steam line. Washington shifted fire to the second Japanese heavy cruiser, scoring 16" hits, as the South Dakota opened fire on the lead cruiser.



The Washington scored more 16" hits on the second Japanese cruiser causing what appeared to be a magazine explosion. The South Dakota continued to range in on the lead Japanese cruiser. Two more Japanese heavy cruisers came into sight as the US destroyers attempted to close the range. The entire Japanese force was turning away while firing more star shells to illuminate the US destroyers. This aided the shooting of the Japanese 8" guns and more US destroyers took damage. Two of the Japanese destroyers near Savo Island fired torpedoes at the US battleships at over 9,000 yards. The leading two Japanese cruisers also fired torpedoes.



Both US battleships turned south west away from Savo Island and to stop the range opening to rapidly. The Washington shifted fire to the furthest Japanese cruiser with the aim of slowing her before she escaped. The South Dakota got some 16" hits on the leading Japanese cruiser. The US destroyers all withdrew to avoid further fire from the Japanese heavy cruisers. The US heavy cruisers picked a path through the withdrawing and damaged US destroyers and the San Francisco opened fire on the fourth Japanese cruiser. The Japanese cruisers continued to inflict damage on the withdrawing US destroyers. The Japanese destroyers near Savo Island fired a second salvo of torpedoes, the rear destroyer who hadn't been able to fire in the first salvo fired all eight torpedoes.

Despite the radical course changes by the US battleships the Japanese had successfully predicted the course of their targets. The Washington narrowly avoided two spreads of four torpedoes from the destroyers and the South Dakota the same from the cruisers, both at over 8,000 yards.



The US battleships turned north west to close the range and hopefully avoid more Japanese torpedoes. The US destroyers continued to withdraw while the US heavy cruisers continued to deploy. The Washington scored more 16" hits on the slowing Japanese cruiser and sank her as she was passed by her withdrawing companion who managed to disappear into the darkness.   The South Dakota, San Francisco and Portland concentrated on the now limping lead Japanese cruiser. Unable to escape her commander ordered her scuttled as the Emperor's picture was taken to safety.



As the surviving Japanese ships withdrew to the north west and the US ships regrouped the South Dakota avoided two more spreads of four torpedoes at over 8,000 yards. The Washington was not so lucky, she was the target for the last desperate salvo of eight torpedoes by the last Japanese destroyer able to fire.

Two torpedoes found their target causing significant damage. What had been an overwhelming US victory was suddenly a costly victory.
Lord Lensman of Wellington
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Duke Speedy of Leighton

Wow!
Love be the starshells idea too, will be stealing that!
You may refer to me as: Your Grace, Duke Speedy of Leighton.
2016 Pendraken Painting Competion Participation Prize  (Lucky Dip Catagory) Winner

pierre the shy

Quote from: mad lemmey on 05 November 2017, 10:41:26 AM
Love be the starshells idea too, will be stealing that!

They are from "The Fights on!" range Leemey. The 10cm circles are cut out of a transparent yellow/orange file cover I got from a local stationery shop.
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.

Ace of Spades

A great read as always! These LL torpedoes really should be forbidden by law...
What were the sunken IJN CA's names if I may ask?

Cheers,
Rob
2014 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

pierre the shy

06 November 2017, 05:12:10 PM #88 Last Edit: 06 November 2017, 05:21:19 PM by pierre the shy
They were Myoko, Haguro and Kinugasa.

The GQ2 torpedo system is the most elegant one I have used in a set of C20 naval rules. The Japanese torpedoes have long range (90cm over two turns) but the launching player has to guess the correct arc that the target ship will be in each turn at the time the torpedoes are launched. Roy, our Japanese player, seems to have mastered this skill well  :)   
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.

Duke Speedy of Leighton

You may refer to me as: Your Grace, Duke Speedy of Leighton.
2016 Pendraken Painting Competion Participation Prize  (Lucky Dip Catagory) Winner