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jleknes -> Coral Sea - Phase II an early AAF (12/24/2002 6:03:16 PM)
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I'm playing a full 42-43 campaign as Japan with Midway happening against the AI with historical settings.
A short AAF:
Gili Gili and Buna have been captured and expanding their bases.
Guadalcanal got 2 operational airfields. Betties, Vals and Zeros are now operating out from it.
It's all an operation on the razors edge! I got to few aircrafts and troops - but 40000 of my best men are only a weeks march from Port Moresby, they've been walking accross the mountains from Buna. Guadalcanal now got 8000 men defending and enough supplies to go around.
Heavy surface fleets have been venturing into Port Moresby to bombard it during thunderstorms. It's a high risk business as a lot of bombers harass my ships if the weather changes, but so far - only light damage to a few ships - and last turn the Hiei, Kirishima and Mutsu bombarded the port and inflicted severe damage. Over 500 men killed, lots of damage to both port and airfields.
The AI is preparing to attack Guadalcanal, but I've been able to best him so far. I got 4 CV's - the Junyo, Shokaku and 2 CVL's.
The Junyo got 20 systems damage and is refitting in Rabaul. (Should I send her back to Japan? The Zuikaku is ready in Tokyo...will I get her instead?)
The Saratoga sailed against my forces outside Port Moresby in a 2nd battle of the Coral sea. The Junyo and 2 CVL's attacked her but didn't hit her. Instead the Junyo got a 500lb bomb planted in her flight deck : /
In another engagement somewhat south of Tassafronga a few weeks later, the Shokaku and 2 CVL's attacked her again. Their strike forces got completely molested and almost all the bombers got cut down by CAP! The old lady almost got away but at long range 2 strikes from Guadalcanal got her. The Vals got shot to pieces by the CAP but 6 Nells put 3 fishes into her. This killed her CAP and I sank her with follow up strikes the next turn.
The AI didn't give up and sent a new CV TF containing the WASP! It damaged 2 CA's, 1 CL and 2 DD's around Guadalcanal but heavy counterstrikes from my own CV's and land based ac's severely damaged her and one of my subs got to the blazing hulk and finnished her off.
Thus is the situation when July is about to end! I got a CV TF, land based ac's and CA's protecting Guadalcanal while my BB's and the bulk of my troops and bombers are trying to strangle Port Moresby. They will have to operate without air support and most likely in daylight from now on.
What are your experiences with invading Port Moresby?
Do you manage to capture it without sacrificing to many ships and thus be able to still protect the airfields at Guadalcanal?
I'm not certain about the Port Moresby operation at all! Only continued heavy bombardment attacks can shut down the airfields and reduce the defences.
If the AI receives new CV's and send em in en mass, my single CV and 2 CVL's will risk heavy damage. Then I'll be forced to commit all my ships to fight a battle of attrition that I can't win.
The expanding airfields at Guadalcanal is maybe my best effort....
To be continued.......
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