Two Coral Sea AAR against the AI

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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition >> After Action Reports >> Two Coral Sea AAR against the AI

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Two Coral Sea AAR against the AI - 7/29/2009 9:43:34 AM

Droop21

Posts: 115
Joined: 7/19/2002
Status: offline

Yesterday night I played 2 Coral Sea engagements against the AI, the first as Allies, the second as Japanese.

Coral Sea, take 1: the Allies

Plan was to do a full defense of PM. Join the 2 CVBG and send them due West (at least left) to position them ~6 hexes out of PM. I also replaced the Wirraway squadron by a A-20 to increase detection (and if possible attack). Moved B-25 to Cooktown (iirc) to do Naval seach, hopefully detecting any wild move by the Japanese and keeping subs at bay. My objective was to bag the Shoh and the invasion force and hopefully not lose my 2 CV (make them run South full speed once the invasion fleet is destroyed). A token SCS force (CA, CL and DD) is sent to Guadalcanal hoping to catch the invasion fleet.

May 6th, my CVBG joined and traded blows with the Shoho. I got lucky, none of the 6 Kates scored a hit (goodness, can the new CAP be leaky: 4 A5M and 6 B5N against a 2 CV CAP: no bomber intercepted), while I plasted the Shoho. No sign of the Shokaku twins and vague detection of the invasion force. Decided to move the CV closser to Russel to finish the Shoho off and get a shot at the invasion TF.

May 7th: still no sign of the Japanese big boys, but I know I'm still well detected as a raid of 20 G3M attacked my CV (with strong losses to the CAP and no hits). A strike from the Yorktown finished the Shoho and started hitting the invasion TF (its nice to oblitarate smaller ships

). Small naval bombardement of PM

May 8th, invasion TF continues to move towards PM despite taking massive losses to my carriers. Still no sign of the big uglies.

May 9th: token invasion force lands, only to get slaughtered by the PM garison force the next day. I figure its time to get the h**l out of Dodge City, while my carriers are still in one piece; I order a general retreat to Noumea to rearm.

May 10th - end. Nothing more really happens (expect a sub attack on a resplendishement TF). At the end I send my CV towards Guadalcanal that fell sometimes while my attention was focused on PM). Scenario ends before I pay for that mistake. End score Allies 1366, Japan: 176.

Couple of comments/surprises. Uber CAP is dead indeed: while it can be lucky and hurt unescorted bombers (the Nells lost 50% of their planes), it can also let bombers fly by unchallenged (the 6 Shoho Kates). I haven't understood the way the AI used its main CVBG. It neither defended the invasion TF, letting me blow it out of water, nore actively chassed my own CVBG until nearly the end. Once the scenario ended, I saw that I was a very luck man: the Japanese CVBG was undetected 10-15 hexes North of Noumea, right on the perfect spot to blast my own CV heading towards Guadalcanal

Post #: 1

RE: Two Coral Sea AAR against the AI - 7/29/2009 9:54:28 AM

AttuWatcher

Posts: 489
Joined: 6/25/2009
From: Hex 181, 36
Status: offline

At least they are smart about using the Shokaku twins. If it wasen't a short scenario they would come back to haunt you at some point in the near future.

(in reply to Droop21)

Post #: 2

RE: Two Coral Sea AAR against the AI - 7/29/2009 10:20:59 AM

Droop21

Posts: 115
Joined: 7/19/2002
Status: offline

Coral Sea, take 2: Japan

Plan was to go full blast after PM and forget Guadalcanal. Loss of a fleet carrier is considered accceptable if both PM is captured and a US carrier is sunk. Moved the Shoho East (ruffly in the direction of Munda) to intercept any non supported enemy SCS and get closer to the main CVBG. Main CVBG waypoints are Shortland, a hex South of Russel Island and between PM and Cooktown. Reshuffled air units, sent the Rufe to Shortlands and put a Betty squadron from Truck to replace it in Rabaul. Also ordered the bombardement TF to stck with the invasion TF.

May 5-6th: No sign of the Allied Carriers. Ordered my main CVBG at flank speed in order to catch up with the invasion TF (I don't want to slow it down). A bunch of wirraways broke through the LRCAP from LAE and dropped some bombs on the invasion fleet (no hits). Despite being actively engaged they managed to push through and bomb, loosing 2 (out of 6) to the Zeros. The first time I see Wirraways doing something useful

May 7th: the battle of the Coral Sea occurs. In the morning, my flyboys spot the Lexington's CVBG and launch a strike (made of Vals). Strike is not hampered by the CAP and put a series of bombs in the Lady Lex. They hurt her, but those 250kg AP are not enough to put her out of comission. US counterstrike puts a bomb on the Zuikaku, but she still is operational. We close on the range and trade another series of blows in the afternoon. Our full strike sinks the Lady Lex on the spot and severely damages an escort CA. The US strike (still only those dreaded Dauntless using their 1000 pounders) tear through the CAP and hit the Zuikaku twice. The second bomb ignites some of the aviation ordanance, putting the Zuikaku out of combat. Shoho, Shokaku and Rabaul recover her strike planes and her CAP. Damage assesment shows she's out of the fight, but should survive (40 sys damage, but only 12 fire and flood). Situation is now I have one fleet carrier (with weakened air groups) on light carrier and I'm facing a heavy carrier (location unknowned). Invasion fleet is a day out. Decision is taken: send the Zuikaku with minimal (2 DD) to Rabaul, join the Shokaku and Shoho and continue to provide cover for the invasion fleet.
May 8-9th: invasion of PM goes mostly unopposed (a 6 inch gun from the base force actually damages an escort and sinks one of those tiny invasion crafts). An assault on the 9th overuns the base, PM is mine.

I spot a series of allied ships a few hexes South of Russel and send the CV investigate. It turns out not to be the Yorktown (lucky for me) but the remainder of the Lex's escort and her refuelling TF. The oiler is dipatched as well as a damaged CA.
I realize (once on site) that Rabaul is not large enough for the Zuikaku and have to send her to Truck to dock

Nothing more happens until the end of the scenario, with the ships South of Russel staying there without any cover. Japan takes the day with a score of 2170 vs. 1077 for the Allies

Couple of comments/surprises: the Wirraway got me scared. I saw the moment when they would slow my invasion fleet down despite the LR CAP. I was very lucky in the fight with the Lex: only 3 bomb hits (plus a dud) out of a total of 45 SBD.

Betties never intervened out of Rabaul. I don't understand why, once the Lex was sunk and the invasion fleet unstoppable, did the Allies not send the Russel Island ships to Noumea. They got me worried for some time (especially as bad wheather really hurt my recon), but ended getting sunk for no real gain.

Overall, I really love this new version/game, massive congrats and thanks to the development team

. Guess I need to find a way to install it on my work laptop before I leave on vacations (as my personnal computer is a desktop)

(in reply to Droop21)

Post #: 3

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