2nd Battle of the Coral Sea

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2nd Battle of the Coral Sea

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All Forums >> [Current Games From Matrix.] >> [World War II] >> Carriers At War >> After Action Reports >> 2nd Battle of the Coral Sea

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2nd Battle of the Coral Sea - 6/9/2007 7:46:07 PM

blastpop

Posts: 395
Joined: 11/27/2005
From: Connecticut
Status: offline

Playing the Americans I chose to do the historical scenario. In my position, the best approach was NOT to fight the Japanese heads up. Consequently I went to the south West and would hug the Australian coast. In that way I may be able to catch a portion of the Japanese fleet unawares. Additionally it would allow me to use the assets of Moresby and Cooktown to help recon and strike the Japanese if they decided to come into my pool to play.

I used the Tangier to head to the Tulagi area as a possible diversion.

As play was undertaken a Japanese sub managed to put a tin fish into the Tangier only lightly damaging her.

Once the Americans reached the Australian coast (day 3 or 4) and heading North the surface TF was sent into the van by about 100 miles to search and seek the Japanese. This managed to draw Japanese airstrikes, sinking surface TG 17.3. The Japanese took the bait and at days end launched full strikes onto the Japanese Carrier Force. Nicely, land base bombers also appeared striking both the Japanese main fleet and one of the Japanese cruiser forces. They managed to damage the Kinugasa and a destroyer. Unfortunately my carrier strikes failed to find any Imperial Japanese Naval targets and the Japanese landed some forces at Moresby. I immediately headed south at flank speed through the next few hours to shake any Japanese until it was about 11PM. At flank speed I headed North to catch the Japanese at dawn, at approx 8AM I attacked the Japanese Carrier forces. My attacks damaged the Shokaku, Zuikaku, Myoko and a destroyer. I was estatic. But retaliation was on the way...

Heading south at flank speed the Japanese hit the Yorktown lightly, my cap and flak keeping further damage from occuring. With about two days left and my air forces suffering from extended action, I broke off contact and sent my forces to port in Noumea on the other side of the map. Likewise my recon showed the Japanese leaving too.

When the battle ended, the Japanese scored a Marginal Victory. Nicely the Yorktown must have repaired in port as the Japanese scored no points for her.

Not a victory for me but a moral one for sure! Kept both my Carriers intact and damaged the Japanese fleet line carriers.

The Japanese seeing the American skill wonder if the Midway invasion may be a mistake and decide to put it off all together, prefering to turn turtle sooner than planned with all her carriers floating...

Fantastic scenario, maybe the best in the game!

< Message edited by blastpop -- 6/9/2007 8:41:43 PM >

Post #: 1

RE: 2nd Battle of the Coral Sea - 6/18/2007 2:18:28 AM

Triarii

Posts: 13
Joined: 11/2/2003
Status: offline

Possible Spoiler

I have only tried the Wake Island and coral Sea scenarios - but have had a second go at 'Coral sea' and just won a decisive victory as the Americans.
Sunk both the imperial CVs and the CVL.

Having been decisively defeated very quickly on the first attempt this time around transferred the mediums bombers from Townsville to Moresby immediately and decided to play safe and threaten the Tulagai resupply from south and east of the Solomon islands keeping under the search umbrella from the Tangier's a/c anchored at Noumea.

Plan A of course did not work - Tulagai resupply did not turn up and only sightings were just within range of the Moresby a/c south of New Britain. One strike at end of the day damaged the Yubari at cost of 8 a/c. Two very large Japanese strikes on Moresby wrote down a lot of CAP and 12-15 Japanese a/c.

5th and 6th May were similar - large strikes on Moresby from the AI and Moresby and Townsville B17 strikes at Japanese vessels to absolutely no effect. Meanwhile TF17 cruised east southeast of Tulagai with no sightings but at end of 6th May were found by search a/c probably from Buin or Shortlands.

At this point it was obvious that the AI was directing all at Moresby. Using flank speed TF17 was raced back - due north then due west to a) use the poor weather off the Australian seaboard and b) avoid the probably well searched (by Japanese a/c) central Coral Sea.
This was going to be touch and go as the Japanese invasion fleet was at the Russell Islands and well covered by the fleet carriers and the CVL. At this point I thought another shellacking was the likely outcome. It was also apparent that the covering cruiser force TF17,3 was not going to have sufficient fuel to see out the scenario.

At dusk on 9th May TF17 was in very thick weather due east of Cooktown and south of the eastern end of New Guinea. I knew where the Japanese fleets where but was sure that TF17 had not been found. However it was clear the invasion fleet was going to reach Moresby fairly soon.

During the night of 9/10th May I decided to put the �fast ships in harms way� TF17.3 was pointed at the invasion fleet at flank speed. The carrier groups were to stay in the heavy weather and put the waters of Moresby in striking distance.

10th May was frenetic. At 4am the invasion started. At daylight the TF17.3 cruiser force was immediately found - I decided to go for broke and kept it under orders to engage the invasion fleet. Moresby a/c found the invasion fleet and the CVL group almost immediately and Moresby bombers tasked with their attack.
Then TF17.3 was attacked by what - given the number - could only be the a/c from the Japanese main carrier force and was hammered. However Lexington's and Moresby search a/c, simultaneously, found the Japanese carriers. They were within range of the American carrier dive bombers.

Strikes were launched from the Lexington and then 15 minutes later the Yorktown.
Townsville�s bomber force was also launched at the Japanese carrier group.

Then all went well. Between 0925 and 1500 the Japanese carriers were hit again and again - given the timing the first strikes probably hit with a/c returning from the destruction of my cruiser group on deck. Though the first strikes were mauled by CAP they did enough to prevent a reply from the Shokaku and damaged the Zuikaku. No Japanese search a/c found TF17 the dive bombers returned and were able to go again (btw I kept the run speed of the game slow here but it was difficult and tense). By 1600 both Japanese carriers were sunk and despite the usually poor rate of return for strikes from land based a/c the Australian dive bombers from Moresby had also hit the Shoho hard enough to stop air operations. Not one Japanese a/c appeared above the American carriers.

I will upload the strike reports in the following post (Note one possible bug � damage shown is cumulative so this save at 1500 means the report for the 0925 strike shows the damage at 1500 not resulting from that first strike).

At the end of the day I the cruiser group had been lost but their sacrifice had trapped the Japanese carriers and left two untouched carriers with mauled but still dangerous VB groups between the Japanese invasion fleets and safety.

Next post but one shows a screen dump for 1500. Note the final strike that would sink the damaged Shokaku is inbound and the last position of TF17.3.

The AI pulled out of the invasion of Moresby that night - expecting the Japanese capital ships to come at my carriers they were ordered due east at flank speed once more. The 11th and 12th were spent dealing with the Japanese cruisers (3 sunk) and harrying the Japanese fleets all the way into the Solomon Sea.

A very good game � very enjoyable. A big thanks to the developers.