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Riva Ridge -> Disaster at the Coral Sea: Riva Ridge vs. Hunchback77 (12/31/2009 7:54:59 PM)
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The Battle of the Coral Sea - 05-15 May 42
(-or- I suck and I got my butt kick like a Narc at a Biker Rally.)
My initial strategy was an attempt to get defeat the Japs transports and decline engagement with the Jap carriers. I kept my carrier TFs seperate. On 06 May, the Yorktown TF was spotted by Sub Based Float Planes so I decided to make a high speed dash northward in order to get close to Port Moseby reasoning that the carriers were further east and there might have been an opportunity to hit the transports. The combat initially started on 08 May with TF18 (1 Aussie CA, AV, CL and DD) getting engaged by Japanese Carrier Air and getting sunk in it's entirety at point 1. Simulatenously, the Lexington TF was unexpectedly engaged by a combined attack of Nells and Betties at Point 2 with one CA damaged and the Lexington taking moderate floatation damage from three torpedo hits. 1/3rd of the Lexington's Airgroups diverted to Port Moseby and both the Yorktown TF (unspotted) and the Lexington TF turned south.
At this point, I had a reasonably good idea of the Jap positions as the invasion force was spotted off Port Moseby and the Carriers were southeast of Milne Bay. I decided to turn back north on 10 May with the Yorktown TF closing on the Carriers in order to fix the Jap Carrier TF while the Lexington TF closed with the Invasion TF to cause as much damage as possible. The Yorktown TF was spotted on it's approach and traded airstrikes with the Jap Carriers at Point 2. The Yorktown was overwelmed by Japanese Carrier Based Air and Land Based Bombers and was sunk along with a Heavy Cruiser. The Yorktown Strike was less effective with 2 1000 bomb strikes on the Zukikaku and one hit on the Mogami leaving both burning but in the fight. The Lexington TF was spotted on it's approach and heavy weather hampered it's ability to launch it's strike against the invasion force at Point 3. With the Yorktown TF being decimated further east, the Lexington turned back south and fled the battle at best possible speed.
The denoucement of the battle occured on 11-12 May with the Lexington TF detaching the New Orleans (CA) and one Destroyer. They took at a high speed run at Port Moseby and engaging in a night surface battle with the invasion force's surface escort. The New Orleans took minimal damage but managed to land two shell hits (8' and 5') on the CL Yubari, setting it on fire at point 4 before retreating south to Cooktown at high speed. This minor triumph was short lived as the Japanese Carrier Air, flushed with their success against the Yorktown TF made an unexpected appearance further west and sunk the New Orleans and it's lone escort off Cooktown at point 5 on 12 May. With the Allied conceding the field to the victorious Japanese, the Japanese forces landed under heavy shore fire (suprisingly effective with a small number of cargo vessels taking heavy damage) and their forces quickly engaging the now isolated and doomed garrison with overwelming force.
[image]local://upfiles/22320/76C7BB963484465FA61117F00C6DB758.jpg[/image]
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