Savo Island battle report

[paulr]

At the recent Call to Arms show hosted by the Wellington Warlords I hosted a refight of the Battle of Savo Island, 8-9 August 1942. In part this was to belatedly mark the 80th anniversary. It also provided an interesting one-day game for six players, only one of whom was familiar with the rules.

We used General Quarters I/II, while dating from the mid-70s we find they still give a good game with a reasonable level of detail and period feel. We find them simpler and faster to play than the more modern General Quarters III.

The ships are 1:3,000 scale Navwar and the coastlines are part of my custom-built Iron Bottom Sound at a scale of 1cm:200 yards (approximately 1:18,000).

The scenario starts at 0112, after the Japanese have slipped past the two US radar picket destroyers. The Japanese have three ship markers deployed:

• just off the southwestern tip of Savo Island (the historic situation)
• just off the northeastern tip of Savo Island
• 8,000 yards (40cm) east of the northeastern tip of Savo Island.

The Japanese players decided their force would be the middle marker. The other two were manoeuvred as decoys to distract the Allies until within spotting distance (10,000 yards, 50cm).

The Allied players decided to go with the historic deployment:

• 3 heavy cruisers and 2 destroyers patrolling in a box covering the strait between Savo and Florida Islands
• 2 heavy cruisers and 2 destroyers on a patrol line between Savo Island and Guadalcanal.

The Japanese headed southeast from Savo and were detected astern by RAN Canberra's radar. After some communication delays the American force commander ordered the force to turn towards the contacts and to work up to full speed.

The Japanese had entered the sound at full speed and the Allied communication delay meant they came into sight as the Allies were still working up speed. They fired star shells to illuminate the Allied ships and opened fire. The surprised Allies were unable to respond that turn.

Both sides continued to close and the Japanese column passed between one of the US destroyers and the Allied cruiser column. At about 3,000 yards fire was heavy from both sides. Canberra, both US destroyers, and the leading two Japanese heavy cruisers fired torpedoes. The Allied ships, rated as Green night-fighters, concentrated all their fire on the closest ship, the Japanese flagship, Chōkai.

The Japanese, rated as Skilled night-fighters, engaged both Allied cruisers and both destroyers. The second Japanese heavy cruiser, Aoba, rolled three sixes and suffered a turret explosion. Ironically this was the only damage she would suffer all game.



Damage was rapidly mounting on all four Allied ships and the Japanese flagship, Chōkai. As she slowed the Allied fire moved to the heavy cruiser Kako.

The Allied Northern force had spotted the firing heavy cruisers and turned south west and started to increase speed. As they approached the intense action there was some confusion and it took them sometime to confirm the firing cruisers were indeed Japanese. The Japanese were not able to spot the Northern force until the heavy cruisers opened fire. When they did so the two Japanese light cruisers and the destroyer moved to launch a torpedo attack.  Unfortunately these older ships were not equipped with long lance torpedoes so had to close the range.

The Japanese heavy cruisers continued to concentrate on the Allied Southern force. It was at this point that the Chicago was overwhelmed by the accumulated damage from gun fire and torpedo hits, she sank within 18 minutes.



The Japanese knew they would have to withdraw soon if they were to avoid air attack at dawn and decided to do so now to limit the ability of the newly arriving Allied cruisers to intervene.

With two of the newly arrived Allied cruisers concentrating on the already badly damaged Chōkai she soon had to be abandoned and would sink within 25 minutes. The Kinugasa took revenge by crippling the Vincennes (played by the New Orleans) leading the Northern force. While the Furutaka scored some hits on the Quincy (played by Minneapolis).

Meanwhile the Kako slugged it out with the Canberra at less than a thousand yards. Kako was on fire and the damage control parties failed to bring it under control, contributing to the loss of the ship. Canberra would finally succumb to fire from Aoba.



As the Japanese continued to withdraw the Allied Northern force, with its flagship and both destroyers crippled decided that they should not attempt to pursue the Japanese.

The Southern Force had fought at very close range against the Japanese, initially alone. They paid a heavy price with all four ships: Canberra, Chicago, Bagley and Patterson sunk. The Northern force had its flagship, Vincennes, and both destroyers, Helm and Wilson, crippled.

The Japanese had lost their flagship, Chōkai, and a second heavy cruiser, Kako. The light cruiser Tenryu (played by Kiso) and the destroyer Yūnagi were damaged. The heavy cruisers Aoba and Furutaka were slightly damaged.

We used the standard victory conditions from the rules based on the value of the ships sunk or crippled. The Allies scored 11 victory points and the Japanese 17.5 giving the Japanese a tactical victory.

Not as good as the historic strategic victory where four Allied heavy cruisers were sunk, and the Japanese only suffered damage to two heavy and one light cruiser.

A great time was had by all the players who played in great spirit even when all their ships were sunk.

[Steve J]

Sounds like a great game, even to one such as I who has no idea about naval battles! Looked good too .

[Ithoriel]

Great write up of a good looking game, Paul.

Well done to the Allies, Out numbered and outclassed it really is an uphill struggle for them.

Been an age since I played a General Quarters game, I'm not sure I remember how to play!

[mmcv]

Nice looking game, I particularly like the star shell illumination effect, so simple yet very effective

[paulr]

Pierre the Shy came up with the star shells      

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Ace report, thank you

[pierre the shy]

Nice looking game, I particularly like the star shell illumination effect, so simple yet very effective

Pierre the Shy came up with the star shells      

The starshells are from a US company called Fights On! who make various naval and air gaming accessories. Looks like from 1 Sept 2022 the range was taken over by I-94 Enterprises, the guys who make the 1/300 Raiden aircraft that Leon stocks here at Pendraken....hmmm

I actually found the ones I have in the Spiritgames shop in Burton on Trent last time I was in the UK, a few years ago now.

The illumination circles are just cut up plastic file sleeves from my local stationary supplies shop.

[Rhys]

Thanks again to Paul for the scenario (and doing the maths) and all the players.
I was rather disapointed to learn that my older ships only had 21" torpedoes. I was then surprised to learn that i was facing 3 heavy cruisers, not 1 and decided that it was time to go (after crippling the destroyers and Vincennes).
It was not a good night to be a Japanese admiral....