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Ophion -> Carnage at Tarawa... (11/29/2007 2:36:41 PM)
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I just finished my first game with the new patch beta and it was fantastic. I played as the Japanese in Tarawa, with a Mystery variant selected.
Day 1-2:
Reviewing my forces I find I have two decent strength carrier groups (even with decent aircrew!) and two powerful surface combatant groups. There are also many japanese bases scattered throughout the islands with decent airgroups. Unfortunately, many of these aircraft are on islands far from the combat zone. I attempted to transfer many squadrons into the islands closer to Tarawa but find this function does not work. Oh well.
Knowing that the americans will certainly have their own heavy carrier groups guarding the approach to Tarawa I send my forces at 15kt across the very top of the map, sheltering behind the NE island group. In this way I hope the American carrier groups will spread out to cover the vast ocean in the centre of the map before they spot me, allowing me to reach strike range of Tarawa.
The first two days see American carriers pounding my island bases while the islands launch their own strikes in return. These actions are reasonably inconsequential until one strike package manages to locate the Essex group. Although most planes are lost to CAP, torpedo fire heavily damages the Essex (taking her out of the fight) and sinking one of the supporting CVLs.
By midnight day 2 my forces are at flank speed steaming down the eastern edge of the board, so far undetected. By dawn of day 3 they are well within cohesive strike range of the battleships covering the invasion of Tarawa.
Day3:
Now or never. I launch full cohesive strikes at the two powerful US battleship groups that are covering the invasion while my two SAGs sprint for the islands. The airstrkes are moderately successful - I get many hits on capital ships, many taking 50% damage, and even light up an escort carrier that must have drawn some attention to itself. The main US carrier groups appear to be too far out in the mid map to intervene, as in response I only receive light strikes at my capital ships while my carriers do not even get spotted.
Nightfall, and things go crazy. The Yamato group runs smack into one US battleship group, while my other SAG (based on the BCs and Fuso) runs into the other. Its the dead of night, so the opposing fleets start a mere 4 range bands apart. In the mayhem that follows, the damage the Americans took earlier makes a big difference. Both my SAGs triumph, although I lose Musashi and take damage on most of my other capships. The plus side is all the American battleships are dead. I love night surface combat.
Day 4.
With the entire world now knowing the location of my capital ships, all hell descends upon them. However, this is a very good thing. The capitals are under a big cloud system, and the Americans seem so enraged by the antics of my battleships that they seem to not be bothering to attack my carriers!
My SAGs take heavy damage, although the clouds and storms keep them safe from the worst. Still, I lose both BCs and Fuso, while Yamato takes damage and loses most of her supporting CAs.
My carriers get a bead on a US escort carrier CVE group and blow it out of the water.
Nightfall arrives, and the crew of the Yamato thank the emperor. Yamato and Nagato are both more or less intact (about 25% damage) although they have lost most of their CAs.
The ex-fuso group has been reduced to a battered group of CAs with some destroyers in support. My Capships continue hounding the Americans, and around midnight Yamato catches a group of 5 CVEs! Unfortunately, due to the dark conditions the two groups begin combat right next to each other! In the ensuing combat, Yamato and Nagato annihilate the US CVEs in a very satisfying manner, but the US destroyer escort goes down fighting hard. Both Yamato and Nagato are heavily damaged by torpedo fire (now up to about 75% damage), and I lose ALL my remaining escorts.
Day 5, and the US carrier groups are out for blood, enraged by the sneaky loss of ther CVE and battleship support. Happily, they again seem content to vent their anger on my poor capital ships which are now steaming for home. Nagato and Yamato are now alone and can barely make 12kts, while the Ex-fuso group takes a massive battering. It is now down to 2 badly damaged CAs and some destroyers.
My carriers continue stealing all the glory without taking any risk, locating and attacking the Enterprise carrier group. My favourite words in the English language are now "Aircraft Sighted on Deck!". Although my planes take heavy losses to CAP, they must have caught BIG-E loading up for another strike. A flurry of torpedo hits send her and her supporting light carriers to the bottom.
By this stage, the Japs decide they have had enough. My capital ships (including the battered but triumphant Yamato and Nagato) finally reach the relative safety of the islands. "B" force is attacked in a last ditch US effort (I think by the Saratoga II group, the only US carriers still operational), but a combination of CAP, weather and luck keeps my losses to a minimum. With hardly any operational aircraft left I turn my carriers around and head north for safety.
Decisive victory for the Japanese. Although I never had time to stop the invasion I decimated the US fleet for very few losses - Musashi, Fuso, the BCs, and some various tin cans. Great fun. Great scenario!
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