A few WWII ships for the Pacific

[pierre the shy]

Unfortunately at the time of the East Indies campaign that we are going to be fighting over the next little while Paul's very nicely painted USN battleships shown above are either on the bottom of Pearl Harbour or still repairing battle damage from the December 7 attack 

Looks like we are going to use the historical set up so the ABDA commander can realistically only try and limit the level of the Japanese victory with the hodge-podge of cruisers and destroyers available to him.

I'm doing up the (very) few extra Navwar Dutch and RN ships that we need at the same time.

"Damn the torpedoes......Four bells, Captain Drayton, go ahead. Jouett, full speed."





       

[paulr]

US and Dutch ships washed

Japanese destroyers cleaned up

Unfortunately 2 of the Kagerō class have miscast bows
This is the first time I've ever had significant miscasting from NavWar
Time to break out some putty and see if I can recreate a couple of destroyer bows  

[paulr]

I did a reasonable job with the putty on one of the Kagerō bows
I've sanded this down into what hopefully looks like the appropriate shape

The other was a dogs breakfast once dried but fortunately come off cleanly  
I've applied a new lot of putty that will hopefully be a better job

I've drilled holes for the masts and will add them once I've got the bow sorted

[paulr]

I've had a second go at the bow that didn't go well and it seems to have gone ok this time

I've also glued the masts in

Now I need the rain to to let up so I can get a chance to undercoat the ships

[paulr]

Rain has let up

Japanese destroyers undercoated  

[paulr]

Japanese destroyers' vertical surfaces base coated

[paulr]

Decks, funnel tops and ship's boats done    

Deck & vertical surfaces to touch ups to do

Then wash...

[paulr]

Decks and a couple of ships' boats touched up

[paulr]

Vertical surfaces touched up

It looks like I've avoided the vertical surfaces, deck, vertical surfaces, deck... touch up cycle  

[paulr]

Japanese destroyers washed

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Why, were they dirty?

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Obviously weak willed Will, I resisted it !   

[paulr]

  

[steve_holmes_11]

I remember the Java Sea campaign being discussed many years ago.

In the classic manner of naval gaming whatifferry, conversation strayed onto balancing the battle.

I remember three suggestions:

1. Deploy the Dutch submarine force from Surarbaya (Soerabaja) and hope it disrupts the Japanese before battle.
2. Include Force Z with the Indomitable, give the Japanese land based air cover and a small carrier like Ryujo.
3. Include Force Z as it appeared (Prince of Wales and Repulse), and give Japanese a small submarine patrol.

[paulr]

Force Z, without Indomitable, was included but has already been sunk as part of the starting conditions

There has been an ANZAC Cruiser Squadron based in Darwin added to add some balance

The victory conditions for the Japanese require capturing ALL their objectives to at least get a draw

Both sides seem to be struggling with the various limitations imposed by the campaign in Turn 1...

I'll start a thread to record events when there is more I can safely report