IChristie
Posts: 673
Joined: 3/26/2002 From: Ottawa, Canada Status: offline
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First let me say that I am not playing with the latest beta version of the game - I got an earlier version so I could check the map graphics (problem is, the game is so **** addictive, I'm still playing it). Because of that, I'll keep the report pretty generic as I wouldn't want to start any firestorms over issues that have already been addressed. The game is the 1942 campaign from the Japanese side. The game begins on 1 May 1942 and includes the "No Midway" variant so that ships involved in Midway "may become available" during the game. As the game opens I find my resources pretty thin on the ground. The main fleet assets consist of Shokaku, Zuikaku, and Shoho, some 6 CA's and a few DD's in Truk and another small force of CL's and DD's at Rabaul. In addition there are a few AP's (Transports) and various auxiliary craft including some minelayers that pique my interest. The airforce is similarly thin on the ground with 25 zeros and about 50 bombers in Rabaul and patrol craft spread around in various locations. Ground forces are pretty thin as well with only one real combat ready formation on the ground and stationed in Rabaul. At game start Guadacanal, Tulagi and Buna are all still in Allied hands. I decide to concentrate on the Eastern Solomons and leave New Guinea for now. The first week of May is mainly spent getting my assets in gear and into the combat zone. I form an air combat TF with all three carriers, a heavy Surface combat TF around the three heaviest CA's and a light TF built around the CL's. Routine convoys to supply Rabaul and Shortland Is. are formed, and an invasion fleet is loaded in Rabaul. A resupply convoy is also formed to follow the invasion fleet. Finally a base force unit is embarked in Truk to follow up the invasion. That's one lesson I learned early in playing UV - it's no good capturing bases if you don't send the infrastructure units along. Bases are useless without support units. If you want to see an operational squadron of aircraft disappear in a hurry, just try operating them from a base with no aviation support! The invasion fleet sails for Guadacanal at the end of the first week with the CL's in close support. As it approaches the slot, the CV's sortie from Kavieng, staying north of Malaita, ready to intervene if needed. I do not really expect much opposition. I am wrong! on 9 May the transports are anchored in Iron Bottom sound when a strike of devastator torpedo bombers appears (literally) out of the clear blue sky. An American carrier TF has stationed itself off the southern tip of Guadacanal. To further complicate life, bad weather grounds the aircraft both at Rabaul and aboard my carriers. The transports are sitting ducks! The only bright spot is that bad weather also seems to affect the enemy carriers and the only sorties of the day are by the devastators. They are not terribly effective although they do severely damage two transports - both of which later sink. However, none of the invasion force is lost 10 May - the invasion of Guadacanal is well underway. Ground forces secure Lunga. The American carriers move East and south, pursued by my carriers. In the battle of the Eastern Solomons UV style, the Americans are dealt a serious blow as both American carriers are hit by torpedoes. In return they manage to inflict only minor damage to the Shoho and shoot down about 30 planes. 11 May - The limping Yorktown is caught by Val dive bombers from the Shokaku and is sunk. The remaining carrier and her escorts moves rapidly south. Although the surface units sortie in the hopes of picking off stragglers, I call off the pursuit as fuel reserves run low and I am leary of ground based air from Espititu Santo. 12 May - The IJN submarine fleet earns its pay. Putting two more torpedoes into the already damaged Hornet causing her to sink on her way to Noumea for repairs. According to my intelligence reports there are no more US carriers in theater. The Coral sea is officially a Japanese lake! Right? 15 May - Wrong! The Americans sneak a CA bombardment force into Lunga, sinking a supply convoy including a tanker and disrupting the work on the airfield and port. If I had been looking I probably would have seen them loitering about at maximum cruising range the day before. In the morning they are gone again. 16 May - To forestall any more such sorties I move my heavy CA force to Lunga and also start vigorous mining operations off the eastern end of Guadacanal. I also redirect a fuel shipment to Lunga as there are no real fuel reserves on hand. In the mean time several more transports and tankers have arrived at Truk. Naval Control of Shipping staff are kept busy forming convoys. More troops have started to arrive and I ferry them off to Rabaul to start the buildup for an invasion of New Guinea (Buna or Gili Gili... or maybe Port Moresby). 17 May - While all this is going on, the carriers (less Shoho, but including her aircraft) sortie again. This time to see if they can catch a resupply convoy recently spotted headed for Gili Gili. 18 May - The convoy disappears but the carriers launch several strikes against Gili Gili itself. Meanwhile Rabaul begins a round the clock bombing campaign of Port Moresby with one group of Nells attacking at night and Zeros escorting Nells and Betty's over again during the day. The Allies respond with P-39's and P-40's. Results are inconclusive with some losses on each side and some damage to the airfield. 20 May - The US cruisers return to Lunga. In a wild night in Iron Bottom sound the USS Portland and DD are sunk. In return however, two of my CA's and a DD are damaged severely enough to have to withdraw, leaving me with only 3 CA's and 5 DD's on station. Off the New Guinea coast the convoy reappears - on its way outbound from Gili Gili. They are sitting ducks and the carrier air sinks or damages several transports and an escort. The carnage continues for two days as the convoy frantically retreats south. The final casualty succumbs at the mouth to Cairns harbour. 25 May - A relatively quiet week passes. The airfield at Lunga becomes operational - although not yet large enough for offensive operations. Airstrikes against Port Moresby continue without decisive result. Reinforcements continue to arrive. The transport fleet has tripled in size in the last month. Particularly critical are the tankers and Oilers which are now madly ferrying fuel from Truk. More land reinforcements arrive and they are bundled on to waiting transports for the trip to Rabaul. I am still critically short of base support personnel with only one new unit having arrived. This means that I can capture and use only one new base unless I want to strip and already operating base. In the afternoon of 25 May another US CA task force is spotted poised to make a run for Lunga. My heavies are still on station and in addition I order the light force to steam from Shortland Is. to Lunga - hoping that they will get into the action as well. 26 May - The second battle of Lunga goes decidedly badly for the IJN. Badly outnumbered the heavy force is mauled by the US TF which numbers some 5 CA's and 7 or 8 DD's. 2 of the remaining CA's are crippled and a DD is sunk. The light force also gets into the fray and loses a CL and a DD. In return the US loses one CA with at least two others hit - how badly is not known. The exchange is not altogether one sided but the battle of attrition is already going in the wrong direction. There are no replacements for my lost cruisers, which are, effectively, gone for the duration. The remaining force of 1 CA and 1CL and attending DD's is no match for the Americans if they return.
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Iain Christie ----------------- "If patience is a virtue then persistence is it's part. It's better to light a candle than stand and curse the dark" - James Keelaghan
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