The Warden
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Joined: 6/10/2007
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A/N: I played the historical scenario.
The Lexington and Enterprise was ordered to the south/southeast of Wake with the intention of intercepting any Japanese invasion force or other TG while the Saratoga proceeded to a position north of Wake. The Tangier was ordered to make a run for Wake at best possible speed.
The first night and day proceeded without any enemy contact (except a halfhearted air strike on Wake, the CAP nailed two Japanese aircraft). By Morning the carriers had reached their ordered positions and were launching scouts, sadly for the Lexington and Enterprise the area to their immediate west was covered by clouds while they themselves were under clear blue skies. Orders to close on the cloud cover were given, the risk of running into enemy surface forces will just have to be accepted.
By midmorning we have our first hostile contact, two Japanese TGs appear to be to the immediate south/southwest of Wake. Unfortunately they are covered by the cloudcover, but it can't be helped, a strike from both carriers is launched at once. One of the carriers is even close enough to load torpedoes on the devastators.
Wake is also attacked by another air strike, but little damage is done to either side.
Results from the strikes are about what you'd expect from American forces at this stage of the war, minimal damage (The cloud cover can't have helped things). Another strike is immediately launched, by this time the cloud cover has drifted east and is now only 20-40 miles from my carriers, but the outer edge of it still covers the enemy TGs.
While this second strike is outbound a searchplane from the Saratoga makes an important discovery, there is a Japanese carrier TG northwest of Wake, the Saratoga immediately launches a strike to neutralize this force. The range is just short enough that the Devastators can be brought into the fight, admittedly carrying bombs instead of torpedoes, but a valuable contribution nonetheless.
I should perhaps also mention that while the Lexington and Enterprise have spotted searchplanes overhead the Saratoga is still as far as I know undetected.
My followup attack on the Japanese Invasion force is only marginally more successful than the previous one, very little damage done. The Japanese surface force steaming independently has altered course and appears to be trying to engage one of my carriers in surface battle.
Shortly before the last of the strike planes are recovered Japanese planes are spotted passing Wake on course towards the Lexington and Enterprise, panic ensues.
By now the cloud cover has just reached my carriers and I order them to steam into the thickest portions at flank speed, every available fighter is also launched.
Thanks to the excellent cloud cover and a bit of luck almost no damage is suffered from the japanese attack, only very minor damage to the Enterprise (1 bar) and light damage to a cruiser. I also had a scare when the Japanese surface force made contact, but I was able to retreat from it and no shots were exchanged.
The Saratoga strike has now finally reached its target and begun bombing the enemy carriers, the pilots claim to have sunk the Soryu and heavily damaged the Hiryu, but I disbelieve these reports and feel that heavy damage to the Soryu and moderate damage to the Hiryu is a more accurate assesment. Some of the aircraft also wasted their munitions on a cruiser, but it was probably not seriously damaged.
Since the Lexington and Enterprise avoided the brunt of the Japanese strike, are within torpedo bomber range of the invasion force (Which no longer has cloud cover) and are covered by thick clouds I decide to take a risk and launch a final strike at the invasion force. This is much more successful than the other two and two of the three invasion transports are sunk.
After reviewing the situation I feel that my most prudent course of action at this time is withdrawal.
One Japanese carrier has probably been damaged to such an extent that she no longer is capable of conducting flight operations, but the other carrier probably is. It is to late in the day for further strikes. The invasion force has been mauled and the invasion will almost certainly be called off, the Tangier will arrive late tonight and boost the defence. In short there's no good reason to hang around and I order all my carriers to withdraw to the east.
A few hours later to my chagrin the Wake garrison reports that they are being invaded, there's little I can about this, but it lends further credence to my theory that at least one Japanese carrier is still operational. The Tangier is ordered to remain on course for Wake (With only one transport the invasion will likely fail and the supplies on the Tangier are desperately needed.)
Sadly the Tangier is shelled, torpedoed and ultimately sunk at anchor, but not before delivering 3 out of 4 cargo points, the escorting destroyers escape and flee at flank speed towards the east. (There's a nice cloud formation about 200 miles to the east and if they can reach it they can probably make it home again.) Sadly my suspicion that the Japanese still have a carrier operational is confirmed in the early morning as masses of aircraft descend like vultures on my poor unsuspecting destroyers (still 40-60 miles short of the cloud cover). Needless to say they are both sunk.
In the end the score looked like this:
Wake invaded, but with insufficient force and the invasion is repelled.
Wake resupplied, but with only 3 out of 4 cargo points
Japanese losses:
Soryu moderately damaged (5 bars)
Hiryu slightly damaged (2 bars)
Minor damage to several cruisers (One took 4 bars, one 2 bars, one 1 bar)
1 minelayer and 1 transport sunk of the invasion force
Slight damage to a couple of destroyers
Minor losses among the airgroups
American losses:
Enterprise slightly damaged (1 bar)
One cruiser slightly damaged
Tangier lost
2 destroyers sunk
Moderate losses among the airgroups
The scenario declared it a decisive Allied victory, but I consider it somewhat more of a moderate victory.
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