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Luskan -> Yamato is deadly. Don't doubt it. (6/2/2003 11:07:57 AM)
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This only happened recently. Combat report was condensed from 4 seperate entries. The problem with Yamato is IJN players expect her to fight in a tf of 25 other big ships. Works so much better as a small ship deal.
I'm trying to reinforce an invasion gone wrong on irau. I sent in too much supply and not enough troops. All CVs on both sides elsewhere. I've culled 4 enemy battleships with airpower so far. 2 left in theatre.
Undamaged Washington and North Carolina, salt Lake and Vincennes with 8 dd escort escorts a tf of 25 big APs packed with two divisions of troops (and an ARM if I remember - the point is that there were 6 INF units, 2 Eng, 2 HQ on those transports).
Catalinas from nevea spot IJN BB headed down the slot, and hudsons and mitchells from Gavigamana and Nevea launch. 34 level bombers with extremely high exp catch the Yamato a couple of hexes out of Irau, and hit her 4 times. No damage.
I don't stop the transports going in thinking Yamato and 4 dds against my finest surface troops - easy pickings.
First the surface combat. battle begins at 8000 yards, long lances blast one of my dds into oblivion. No other hits. Ok - I'm cool. These things happen . . . Combat closes to 6000 yards - lots of "Allies and IJN manouvre" going on. My ships open up, and score a few 5 inch hits and 1 8 inch hit on Yamato - no damage. Still her guns are silent, although the ijn destroyers all fire about 1 shot each. Washington lands a big shell (16 inches?) on the Hamakaze, blows her to hell.
Combat at 5000 yards, still lots of manouvring. My cruisers find form and polish off 2 enemy dds and one of my dds score 16 consecutive 5 inch hits on Yamato. Damned thing isn't smoking. Yamato's guns still silent - Washington and north Carolina still missing the bloody big target.
Combat at 4000 yards. Allies open up - and again Yamato doesn't fire. a couple of 8 inch hits make Yamato smoke, and all other IJN destroyers polished off (they don't sink outright - but they'll sink before the end of turn sort of thing). Finally, North Carolina lands a 16 inch shell hit on Yamato that gets a penetration message - but still only lightly smoking. This obviously jolting Yamato's captain from his slumber - he looks around, realises the allies are with AA gun range, and gives the order to open fire. The following happens - maybe a dozen 18 inch hits - 4 in a row on Vincenens, plenty of smaller shell hits and endless amounts of AA guns hammering away.
Night Time Surface Combat near Irau
Japanese Ships
BB Yamato, shell hits 38, on fire
DD Hamakaze, shell hits 6, on fire, heavy damage, and is sunk
DD Yubari, shell hits 25, on fire, heavy damage (sinks later)
DD Akigumo, shell hits 12, on fire, heavy damage, sinks later
DD Kamikaze, shell hits 55, on fire, heavy damage, sunk
Allied Ships
BB Washington, shell hits 15, on fire, heavy damage (sinks just before she gets to Luganville)
BB North Carolina, shell hits 41, on fire, heavy damage (survives with 77 sys and gets to Nevea, but is torpedoed on her way back to Noumea and sinks)
CA Vincennes, shell hits 17, on fire, heavy damage, sunk
CA Salt Lake City, shell hits 8, on fire
DD Bagley, torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage, sunk
DD Blue, shell hits 2
DD Ralph Talbot, shell hits 6, on fire, heavy damage makes it home
DD Henley, shell hits 21, on fire, heavy damage sinks later
DD Mugford
DD Porter, shell hits 1
DD Balch, shell hits 14, on fire, heavy damage makes it home
DD Arunta, shell hits 33, on fire, heavy damage, sinks later
The good news is that she didn't get amongst the transports.
BB Fuso did that the next turn with 4 DDs in tow - and since I had pulled my entire surface force out (thinking I'd beaten him off for the last time) Fuso and her dds drowned 80% of two divisions and sunk enough transports to really, really hurt.
Captain prone to falling asleep - other than that, Yamato is deadly in a small ship tf (all IJN BBs are).
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