|
Snigbert -> Things fall apart (4/22/2002 10:57:04 PM)
|
Mid-August
Alright, following the nice carrier battle I reported on last time, I returned my task force to Cooktown to replenish.
Nevea and Lunga both turned into level 4 airfields the same day. I moved about 40 B-17s to Nevea and began a bombing campaign of the airfields at Lunga. Otherwise, things in the Eastern Solomons were quiet.
Meanwhile, transports are gathering at Brisbane to bring the 35th and 41st US Infantry divisions up to Gili Gili.
The Japs are defending Gili Gili with at least a division, but with no perceivable air strength. My daily bomber raids from PM and Cooktown have closed down the port and inflicted much damage on the Japanese troops there.
The Big E has been sent back to Pearl Harbor via Noumea, with 45% systems damage. She will be repaired 4 days after the Yorktown, both ships will be available again in November.
The remaining three carriers were consolidated into a task force with the 4 CLAAs, 2 CAs, 2 CLs and 6 DDs. The Hornet has 17% systems damage, but I need her right now so I wont send her back to Pearl Harbor. The purpose of this task force will be to run CAP cover over the transports as they arrive at Gili Gili. the 106 or so Wildcats will be more than enough to take care of the Bettys and Nells that attack us. As a matter of fact, I welcome their attack because it will only deplete their long term air strength.
Also, the Japs could have their undamaged carriers at Rabaul, which I would guess to be 3 CVs and 1 CVL or 2 CVs and 2 CVLs. Are they going to risk sending them out against 3 American carriers? If so, they can bring it on because I'll happily exchange 3 or my carriers for 3 of theirs at this point.
Then all the craziness started. First, Spruance evidently had trouble understanding the order to 'follow' the lead transport TF, and it entered Gili Gili without air support. Luckily, bad weather prevented Rabaul from launching an air strike.
Spruance had located a bombardment TF heading for PM and threw everything he had at the two lead ships, which turned out to be the BB Kirishima and BB Hiei. They were bombed and torpedoed all day, each ship probably taking 15-20 hits before the Hiei finally acknowledged defeat and slid quietly beneath the waves. I can only imagine the Kirishima must have also followed her, but we had no official confirmation. The CL Naka and CA Maya were also sunk by these strikes.
But good news comes in bunches, when I check for confirmation that the Hiei had really sunk (and it had), I saw that the Kongo was also confirmed sunk. Remember the engagement at Rennell island where the Northampton and Salt Lake City got their licks in against the Kongo? Evidently all three ships had been fatally damaged in that duel. The cause of death of the Konga was the 8 inch gun, so it must have been the brave Northampton. So 3 of the 4 BBs of that class have been sunk (although Kirishima is not confirmed), leaving only the Haruna to carry on the name. And I haven't had any BBs lost yet. Of course, I haven't had any available to lose.
The next day dawns and the two transport TFs have arrived at Gili Gili, each unloading a division. My carrier TF now moves into place, but not before Vals from Lae can come in and bomb the Transports with these weird little 17kg bombs. I don't know if they were on ASW duty or what, but what were they trying to accomplish with these things? They had a really high success rate, but when I checked the damage to the tf later it was almost impercetable. There were some sailors on the deck of the CL Leander toasting marshmallows around one of the 17kg bomb craters, but that's about it.
We also spotted several enemy transport TFs moving to Gili Gili, and day two of easy hunting for my carrier air crews began. We basically just bombed the hell out of these TFs, sinking or badly damaging around 10 APs or AKs. This also created great disorder, and a mess of miscellanous transports ships limping back towards Rabaul wondering what the hell happened.
Keep in mind, both days of air attacks were done with no Wildcat escorts, and I still lost minimal amounts of planes because I met no CAP on either occasion. My Wildcats were busy flying CAP over my carriers and transports now.
Sure enough the inevitable attack from Rabaul came, and we shot down about 25 planes. The Bettys and Nells that made it through put two torpedoes into the CL Honolulu, sinking her, and another into the CL Leander.
Meanwhile, troops and supplies keep coming ashore at Gili Gili.
A second attack from Lae shows up, consisting of Vals now equipped with real bombs and Kates as well. However, they have no escort and both waves are chopped up by our CAP. I have a feeling that they are 'forget me not' airgroups from the Akagi or Shokaku. Well, now they're also dead like their fellow crewmembers. A small air strike of Nells even showed up from Lunga, only to be shot down. Pity.
Now, if you'll place yourself in the shoes of the Japanese commander...basically your plan to take Port Moresby has just gone down the toilet, and you have a large enemy carrier force sinking battleships and transports at will, within range of your vaunted land based bombers at Rabaul. Land based air strikes have been ineffective. If you send more heavies down there they might get chewed up by carrier attacks, dwindling your surface force even more. What do you do? Well, you do what any sensible Japanese commander does. You gather your remaining carriers into a couple of task forces, and despite their being short on planes, you order them to intercept the invasion and sink the American carriers.
In this case the carriers assembled against me are TF 1 consisting of the newly repaired Zuikaku and the Junyo. Personally, I hate the Junyo because of its speed of 25 knots. Basically, this means when the Junyo is operating all of your carriers are limited to 25 knots because you want to keep their strength concentrated. But you also need the 53 fresh planes the Junyo offers, so you include her. They add on a few cruisers and destroyes, and then put together TF 2. TF 2 includes the previously unscarred Soryu, and the Ryujo with support ships.
I become aware of the presence of Japanese carriers on the end of Day 2, when a long range Val/Kate/Zero attack plants a bomb on the Hornet (doing minor damage).
Now I know the Jap carriers are coming, and I have the option of withdrawing my own ships overnight. Of course, I'm not Adm. Fletcher, I'm not even going to consider abandoning my transports and the troops unloading to their own fate, so I stay and fight.
And the next morning the fight is on. I think all the commanders involved know that this battle will decide who has carrier superiority for the rest of the game. If they knock out my carriers, they have stymied my invasion potentially costing us 2 divisions, and they wont have to worry about American flat tops until late November.
If I can do serious damage to them...well, it's pretty much game over for Japan.
By day 3, our carrier pilots are exhausted but they have also been fighting steady, and gaining experience. Some have become Aces in the last two days. I switch the carrier fighters to escort rather than CAP.
The first wave I launch hits TF 1, putting a bomb and a torpedo into the Zuikaku followed by 2 torpedoes and 2 bombs into the Junyo. Scratch one flat top.
The next wave goes after TF 2 and puts a bomb each into the Ryujo and Soryu. Most likely they will both survive, but they are going to need serious repairs. Those 1000 lb bombs hurt, believe me.
Their retaliation is harsh as well, unfortunately. The Hornet takes a torpedo, which worries me because she is already damaged. And then all of the Japanese planes zero in on the Wasp. She is hit by two bombs and two torpedoes. On fire, and heavily damaged.
Many more Japanese planes are lost in these air battles, and I think everyone knows they wont be launching another attack against us.
Night falls with the Japanese carriers withdrawing back to Rabaul. The Wasp is also heading out, towards Cooktown but it is questionable whether she will make it. Her floatation damage is up around 70%, which means she could sink at any time.
Hornet is remarkably unharmed, still only 17% systems damage. I decide to keep Hornet and the undamaged Saratoga on station to provide more CAP for the transports. We now own the sea between Rabaul and New Guinea.
The two infantry divisions are ashore now, and we order an attack. 28000 troops, give or take, throw themselves at the rugged Japanese defenders numbering around 20000.
They only kill a few hundred Japs, and we lost 1100 of our men. That's not what I was expecting. Am I going to have to bring in the Marines?
What next? Advice? Comments? Insults? Lets hear it!
|
|
|
|
