RE: Turn 82 26 February, 1942

Matrix Games Forums

Forums Register Login Photo Gallery Member List Search Calendars FAQ

My Profile Inbox Address Book My Subscription My Forums Log Out

RE: Turn 82 26 February, 1942

View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Logged in as: Guest

Users viewing this topic: none

Printable Version

All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition >> After Action Reports >> RE: Turn 82 26 February, 1942

Page: << < prev 15 16 [17] 18 19 next > >>

Message

<< Older Topic Newer Topic >>

RE: Turn 82 26 February, 1942 - 7/26/2010 1:10:23 AM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

I don't usually post full combat reports, but this action deserves it so that it can be seen what happened.

First, I-27 attempted an attack on the liner Hong Siang but was spotted by the escorting destroyer. Denied a shot at the liner, I-27 hastily fired a spread of 6 torpedoes at the destroyer Brooks. The Brooks evaded all of the torpedoes and made an attempt to locate I-27, which escaped under a shallow thermal layer.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASW attack near Fort Ord at 219,74

Japanese Ships
SS I-27

Allied Ships
DD Brooks
xAP Hong Siang

SS I-27 launches 6 torpedoes at DD Brooks
I-27 diving deep ....
DD Brooks fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Brooks fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Brooks fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Brooks fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Brooks fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub

Meanwhile, 40 miles away, I-28 engages another convoy, sinking the corvette as described in the previous post. After three hours, she surfaces and radios a contact report, which is received by the I-27.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub attack near San Luis Obispo at 220,74

Japanese Ships
SS I-28

Allied Ships
KV New Westminster, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
AM Bobolink
AM Kingfisher
DD Rathburne
KV Timmins
PC Jackson

SS I-28 launches 6 torpedoes at KV New Westminster
I-28 diving deep ....
DD Rathburne fails to find sub and abandons search
KV Timmins fails to find sub and abandons search
PC Jackson fails to find sub, continues to search...
PC Jackson fails to find sub, continues to search...
PC Jackson fails to find sub, continues to search...
PC Jackson fails to find sub, continues to search...
Escort abandons search for sub
----------------------------------------------------------
I-27 picks up the contact report and positions herself ahead of where the convoy should be. As if on queue, the convoy appears on the horizon moving along the base course radioed in the contact report. I-27 submerges and begins tracking her targets. The captain elects to fire two torpedoes at the tanker in the near column, two at the lead freighter in the far column, and two at the second freighter in the near column. The ships are arranged as follows

^ ^
KV Timmons DD Rathburne
<-- I-27

^ ^
AK Mangola TK Athelduke

^ ^ ^ ^
PC Jackson AK Herstein AK Maetsuycker AM Bobolink

^ ^
AK Jalanganga AK Steel Traveller

^ ^
AK Kainalu AK Robert Luckenbach

Just as I-27 attempted to make her last observation before firing, she found that the convoy had made a zig toward her and was still in the process of turning. Not only was her firing set up ruined, but the near escort, a minesweeper (Bobolink) was now heading directly for her. With no time to reconfigure the torpedoes, the captain fired all six tubes down the throat at the approaching escort and went deep. He couldn't see it, but one of the torpedoes passed directly under the minesweeper without detonating since they had been set for the deeper merchant vessels.

Caught in the middle of a zig, the convoy quickly became a disorganized formation as the individual ships sought to avoid the torpedoes and the escorts turned back in to engage the submarine. The rear two ships in the right side column (Steel Traveller and Luckenbach) both became seperated from the convoy as they maneuvered much farther to starboard to avoid the torpedoes and also where they thought the sub was located.
All four escorts swiftly moved to prosecute the attack, however the highly disturbed water caused by the wakes of the convoy served to mask the I-27.
With no luck on the initial contact, the DD Rathburne moved to gather the two wayward freighters and shephard them back into the group, concerned that they were farther away from the other ships. Just as she began to turn into the heading to intercept the freighters, she unknowingly put herself in a position directly off the beam of the submarine. The Rathburne picked up the sub with a solid sonar hit just ten degrees off the port bow and rushed in to make a depth charge pass. The charges missed, but the corvette had also picked up the sub and moved to make her own run. The pattern from the Timmons was deadly and spot on. Two of the charges were close enough to damage the watertight integrity of the seaplane hangar and forward battery compartment. It also cracked several cells of the battery, which began to give off poisonous gas as the acid mixed with the seawater.

With the sub taking water in the battery compartment and aircraft hangar, the Captain had no choice but to surface and attempt to fight it out. Grimly he ordered an emergency blow to bring the submarine up before she got too heavy to make the trip. In the forward torpedo room the crew struggled to get at least one torpedo reloaded in time to be useful.

As the sub broke the water she labored heavily, with the shattered aircraft hangar forcing a higher than normal center of gravity and the damaged seaplane loose and partially hanging over the starboard side.

The crew quickly manned the 5.5" deck gun on the aft deck, but both the superstructure mounted range finder and the twin 25mm AA mounts were wrecked and useless as were the periscopes and bridge mounted TBT.

Using local control, the crew fired at the freighter Luckenbach, which happened to be the closest ship. The freighter began turning to ram, but the sub's gun crew put two rounds into her bridge, causing her to fall off.

Meanwhile, the gunners on both the Luckenbach and the Steel Traveller opened up on the sub, with the Luckenbach's gun crew scoring two hits, one in the engine room and one in the crew compartment aft of the engine room. These hits knocked the gun crew down, with three men going over the side.

The I-27's captain ordered replacement gun crew members to the deck and had the helm put over to place the Luckenbach between the sub and the DD Rathburne to keep her from getting a clear shot.

As her bow came around to bear on the Luckenbach, I-27 fired her only loaded torpedo, which hit the Luckenbach amidships. Continuing her turn, the sub's gun crew put two more shells into the freighter and also one into the Steel Traveller, forcing tht ship to sheer off.

However, the Rathburne had by now cleared the burning freighter and opened up a blistering fire using her 4" deck guns. At a range of 500 yards the old four piper scored several hits on the sub, causing I-27 to flood, wallow, and then rapidly sink.

8 survivors, including her Captain, were left in the water and were taken prisoner by the destroyer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submarine attack near Fort Ord at 219,74

Japanese Ships
SS I-27, hits 8, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
AM Bobolink
TK Athelduke
xAK Mangola
xAK Aroona
xAK Herstein
xAK Maetsuycker
xAK Jalaganga
xAK Kainalu
DD Rathburne
KV Timmins
PC Jackson
xAK Robert Luckenbach, Shell hits 4, Torpedo hits 1, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Steel Traveler, Shell hits 1

SS I-27 launches 6 torpedoes at AM Bobolink
I-27 diving deep ....
DD Rathburne attacking submerged sub ....
DD Rathburne loses contact with SS I-27
KV Timmins fails to find sub, continues to search...
PC Jackson fails to find sub and abandons search
DD Rathburne fails to find sub, continues to search...
KV Timmins fails to find sub, continues to search...
DD Rathburne attacking submerged sub ....
SS I-27 eludes ASW attack from DD Rathburne
KV Timmins attacking submerged sub ....
DD Rathburne fails to find sub, continues to search...
KV Timmins attacking submerged sub ....
SS I-27 forced to surface!
xAK Robert Luckenbach firing on surfaced sub ....
xAK Steel Traveler firing on surfaced sub ....
xAK Robert Luckenbach firing on surfaced sub ....
xAK Steel Traveler firing on surfaced sub ....
xAK Robert Luckenbach firing on surfaced sub ....
xAK Steel Traveler firing on surfaced sub ....
DD Rathburne firing on surfaced sub ....
xAK Robert Luckenbach firing on surfaced sub ....
xAK Steel Traveler firing on surfaced sub ....
xAK Robert Luckenbach firing on surfaced sub ....
xAK Steel Traveler firing on surfaced sub ....
DD Rathburne firing on surfaced sub ....
xAK Robert Luckenbach firing on surfaced sub ....
xAK Steel Traveler firing on surfaced sub ....
DD Rathburne firing on surfaced sub ....
xAK Robert Luckenbach firing on surfaced sub ....
xAK Steel Traveler firing on surfaced sub ....
DD Rathburne firing on surfaced sub ....
xAK Robert Luckenbach firing on surfaced sub ....
Sub slips beneath the waves

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by seydlitz -- 7/26/2010 1:12:16 AM >

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 481

Turn 83 27 February, 1942 - 7/26/2010 4:27:48 AM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

Turn 83 27 February, 1942

No ships sunk this time, but the battle under the waves did continue.

First, off Soerbaja, the I-155 managed to sight and get a spread off at the Boise, but the torpedoes missed. Not sure where the ABDAFLOT is headed but my guess would be a bombardment mission on the NW corner of Borneo.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 482

RE: Turn 83 27 February, 1942 - 7/26/2010 4:30:27 AM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

Off the California coast the I-28 tried to reengage the convoy that claimed the I-27 last turn. She got close enough to fire torpedoes at the DD Rathburne, but for the third time in three days this ship managed to dodge the torpedoes and escape.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 483

Turn 84 28 February, 1942 - 7/31/2010 5:51:13 PM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

Turn 84 28 February, 1942

Been busy this week so I haven't had time to post until today. So here goes several turns worth of updating in one batch.

On this turn, the only significant event was the I-28 putting 3 fish into the freighter West Ira, sinking her.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 484

Turn 85 1 March, 1942 - 7/31/2010 5:55:04 PM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

Turn 85 1 March, 1942

At Luganville, I-160 found the freighter Salamaua unloading troops and equipment. She conducted a surface attack against the vessel hitting her with at least one 5" shell and one torpedo. In the resulting explosion, at least two artillery pieces and one truck were seen to be blown overboard.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 485

Turn 85 1 March, 1942 - 7/31/2010 5:59:54 PM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

in the skies over Hankow, the AVG showed up and attacked my Lillies that were engaged in bombing the Chinese troops. Luckily the Lilly has a decent turn of speed and maneuverability. Only 2 were shot down but another two were write offs due to battle damage. In return, 1 AVG P-40 was shot down.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 486

Turn 86 2 March, 1942 - 7/31/2010 6:33:38 PM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

Turn 86 2 March, 1942

During this turn, the I-172 made a daring daylight surface attack in the Bass Strait south of Melbourne. Using both her gun and a torpedo, she put the coastal freighter Matthew Flinders on the bottom.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 487

Turn 87 3 March, 1942 - 7/31/2010 6:36:08 PM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

Turn 87 3 March, 1942

Bass fishing continued this turn (pun intended) as the I-24 put two fish into the small oiler Tan6 in Bass Strait.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 488

Turn 88 4 March, 1942 - 7/31/2010 6:43:59 PM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

Turn 88 4 March, 1942

The Kaga and Akagi had spent the past few days in the southern ocean waiting on their tanker rendevous. With the refueling accomplished, the strike force began moving southeast, towards Tasmania. At this point, I am tempted to strike Melbourne, but I am wary of doing it while still on the west side of Tasmania because it would be dangerous if the American or British carriers suddenly turned up. That would put me cut off from home with out enough fuel to go the long way around the west side of Australia.

At any rate, near the west end of the Bass Strait, I encountered a convoy of 6 AKs and wreaked havoc on the poor merchants.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 489

Turn 89 5 March, 1942 - 7/31/2010 6:51:26 PM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

Turn 89 5 March, 1942

After decimating the convoy, I made the decision to take the Kaga, Akagi, and accompanying battleships (Nagato, Mutsu, Ise, Hyuga, Fuso, Yamashiro) south around Tasmania. I did not want to risk getting swarmed by aircraft of walking into a minefield in Bass Strait.

Meanwhile, off Soerbaja, I-154 encountered ABDAFLOT but was unable to get off a shot. Unfortunately, the British destroyers located her, depth charged her to the surface, and then sank her with gunfire.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 490

Turn 90 6 March, 1942 - 7/31/2010 6:55:02 PM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

Turn 90 6 March, 1942

As my carriers rounded the bottom of Tasman Island, I located and attacked another convoy, sinking several more freighters. I couldn't believe that I was finding such a fertile hunting ground this far south given that it was clear that my carriers were in the area.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 491

Turn 91 7 March, 1942 - 7/31/2010 7:22:10 PM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

Turn 91 7 March, 1942

Off Batavia, I-157 shelled the small freighter Lyeman, hitting her with 10 rounds and leaving her burning from stem to stern. The Captain did not deem the target worthy of a torpedo and dived after exhausting his gun ammo.

Meanwhile, my carriers clear Tasman Island and suddenly spot multiple carriers.

------TRAP!!!!------

Obviously he routed some of his convoys through the area to try and dilute my airstrikes and also to give him intelligence as to where my ships were. Luckily I spot his ships at a range of 6 hexes, well beyond the strike range of his torpedo planes. In fact, I am not certain that he actually located my carriers at all. However, my depleted two carrier attack force consisting of 36 Kates, 22 Vals, and 6 Zeros flew into a hornets nest of allied naval fighters. His cap consisted of 108 wildcats and 15 Buffaloes.

Needless to say, he decimated my strike force, shooting down 23 Kates, 14 Vals, and 1 Zero while losing only 2 Wildcats.
My strike force never even saw the ships that they were suppossed to strike. However, by the markings, I could tell that the Lexington, Saratoga, and Enterprise were definitely present and that he had also added additional Wildcats to the carriers in the form of Marine squadrons.

This battle left me in a precarious situation. My strike force did not have enough fuel to make it home. The tankers that were with the task force were already empty, and my next relay of tankers were just now passing through the Solomons. His carriers were located squarely blocking the direction where I needed to go. This was not good. I could head west back around Tasman, but I would wind up running out of fuel in just a few turns. He had also flown his B-17s into Tasmania, and they were also flying both naval search and attack missions on my carriers, further restraining my movement. To the east was New Zealand, and again I wouldn't have enough fuel to evade around the southern tip of New Zealand.

To say the least, the pucker factor was high.....

Attachment (1)

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 492

Turn 92 8 March, 1942 - 7/31/2010 7:41:12 PM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

Turn 92 8 March, 1942

With all options being either risky or potentially fatal, I decided that a bold move was in order.

Even though I was short of fuel, I ordered both the carrier group and the battleship group to full speed and commenced a high speed dash NNW parallel to the western coast of New Zealand. I also ordered the zeroes to 50% cap and set the few surviving vals and kates to night naval attack with no search. I figured that if I bumped into his carriers during the night there was a slim chance that my planes might fly, but more importantly, I didn't want to give away my position by having one of my planes spot something and attack it. Luckily I had spent the entire deployment at cruise speed, so both groups were in good shape with very low system and no engine damage despite the long time at sea. After detaching the tankers and ordering them to make for Antarctica, the carrier and battleship groups went to flank speed and held it through both movement phases. While the Japanese battleships were quite fast for their generation, they still did not have enough speed to keep up with the carriers. By dawn, they had fallen 60 miles behind the carriers but were still steaming as hard as they could, under radio silence, trying hard not to release plumes of heavy black funnel smoke that could give them away.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 493

RE: Turn 92 8 March, 1942 - 7/31/2010 7:50:01 PM

koontz

Posts: 274
Joined: 8/27/2009
Status: offline

Good luck!

_____________________________

Amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics.

"All warfare is based on deception. There is no place where espionage is not used. Offer the enemy bait to lure him."

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 494

RE: Turn 92 8 March, 1942 - 7/31/2010 7:51:04 PM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

I held my breath through the turn resolution all the way up to the ground combat phase. My task forces had slipped through the entire day without being spotted by land or carrier based air.

Meanwhile, I ordered all of my subs deployed in the southern Australian theater to converge on the area where his carriers should be at full speed. If I was very lucky, I might even get one of his ships.

When I emailed the combat replay to traskott, I thought that I would bait him a bit. The only text in the email was "OUCH!!!" which obviously led him to believe that he had located and hit my carriers.

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 495

Turn 92 8 March, 1942 - 7/31/2010 7:56:08 PM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

Meanwhile, in other parts of the pacific, my subs continued to perform valiantly.

Off Pago Pago, I-174 sank two ships during the turn. First she put 3 fish into the freighter Fairland, sinking her in 15 minutes. She then chased down and sank the AK Arcata, which had been travelling with the Fairland, dispatching that vessel with two solid hits.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 496

RE: Turn 92 8 March, 1942 - 7/31/2010 8:01:01 PM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

Meanwhile, off San Francisco, the I-2 put one torpedo into the large freighter Admiral Y. Williams. When the sub left the scene of the action, the Williams was dead in the water, blowing steam off the boilers, and the life boats were being lowered.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 497

Turn 93 9 March, 1942 - 7/31/2010 8:12:03 PM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

Turn 93 9 March, 1942

My turn arrives via email with comments from Traskott. "GRRR....You shall not escape!!!"

Fuel is still very critical, and my ships are now about 350 miles ESE of Sydney. I have no choice but to continue at full speed north for another turn even though every ship is showing red on the fuel column and the destroyers are now down to about 1900 fuel with even the carriers under 3,000. The battleships continue to fall farther behind and I now run the risk of having him locate them and being able to attck them without having to deal with defending zeroes.

Again I sweat out the naval and air phases, and again I avoid being spotted. Even better, my next relay of loaded tankers are now north of Komac and steaming south at their best speed to rendevous with my ships midway between Brisbane and Noumea.

This time, I tell him in my email that "this cat and mouse game is getting pretty intense."

Attachment (1)

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 498

RE: Turn 93 9 March, 1942 - 7/31/2010 8:16:46 PM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

Right in the middle of the area where I suspect his carriers might be, one of my subs located and sank the large freighter Asphalion with two solid torpedo hits. Assuming that his carriers were nearby, this had to make him uneasy. Hopefully he was now considering the possibility that I had several subs in the area and that I might be lucky enough to get a shot at one of his carriers.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 499

RE: Turn 93 9 March, 1942 - 7/31/2010 8:19:17 PM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

Meanwhile, off Perth, I-10 let the aussies know that I still had that port under surveillance by putting two fish into the small freighter Minnepa.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 500

RE: Turn 93 9 March, 1942 - 7/31/2010 8:20:30 PM

cantona2

Posts: 3749
Joined: 5/21/2007
From: Gibraltar
Status: offline

Your heart must have skipped a beat when you saw his CVs!

_____________________________

1966 was a great year for English Football...Eric was born

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 501

Turn 94 10 March, 1942 - 7/31/2010 8:25:08 PM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

Turn 94 10 March, 1942

I run the tanks virtually dry on the ships, but with the third turn of high speed running, my ships will be able to reach the waiting tankers by the evening. This will mean performing tactical refueling in the middle of enemy waters, due east of Brisbane, with disaster if we are discovered before or during the operation. I have only enough fuel for about two more turns at cruise speed.

However, again I escape without being spotted.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 502

RE: Turn 93 9 March, 1942 - 7/31/2010 8:30:56 PM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: cantona2

Your heart must have skipped a beat when you saw his CVs!

Absolutely... I held hope that some of my planes would have leaked through his cap and damaged at least one of the carriers, but when that didn't happen and I realised that he had stripped my strike force of bombers and torpedo planes, I was quite worried. In fact, I even considered sending the battleships on a mad dash to engage his carriers but I realised that that would not be smart since the carriers would react away one hex from a surface TF and the battleships would react one hex away from an air task force, leaving them to be torpedoed by Devastators. That thought was just too much to bear.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to cantona2)

Post #: 503

RE: Turn 94 10 March, 1942 - 7/31/2010 8:34:45 PM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

Half a world away, the Kido Butai has been at sea on a secret mission. Knowing that I had either damaged or sunk the Yorktown off Pearl Harbor a month ago, I figured that I would pay a visit back to Pearl. With the knowledge that all of his active carriers were down by Australia, I commenced my high speed run in to make a morning attack.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 504

RE: Turn 94 10 March, 1942 - 7/31/2010 8:37:04 PM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

Off Soerbaja, I-166 goes on station and immediately kicks off her patrol by putting two torpedoes into the freighter Gard.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 505

RE: Turn 94 10 March, 1942 - 7/31/2010 8:40:42 PM

cantona2

Posts: 3749
Joined: 5/21/2007
From: Gibraltar
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: seydlitz

Turn 94 10 March, 1942

I run the tanks virtually dry on the ships, but with the third turn of high speed running, my ships will be able to reach the waiting tankers by the evening. This will mean performing tactical refueling in the middle of enemy waters, due east of Brisbane, with disaster if we are discovered before or during the operation. I have only enough fuel for about two more turns at cruise speed.

However, again I escape without being spotted.

Did they eventually catch up? If they didnt it must have been soul destroying for traskott to know he came soooo close.

_____________________________

1966 was a great year for English Football...Eric was born

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 506

Turn 95 11 March, 1942 - 7/31/2010 8:46:20 PM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

Turn 95 11 March, 1942

Several things happened this turn.

First, Kaga, Akagi, their escorts, and the battleship strike force completed the dangerous tactical refueling maneuver and are now sailing for Truk. There is a slim chance that he could still spot me, but I am wagering that he went too far south initially and has lost too much ground. Hopefully he would also have fuel issues if he tries to conduct a long run to the north since I doubt that he has a fleet train following him around.

My earlier tanker relay that was also almost out of fuel is hugging the coast of Antarctica, moving slowly past the southern tip of new Zealand. I hope to find a good, isolated anchorage where I can put in and have the ships hide until I can get a tanker down to them to bring them home. Luckily it is summer in the southern hemisphere.

Next, the Kido Butai located a major convoy northeast of Pearl Harbor and only 200 miles from the carriers. Accordingly, about half of the strike force went after these ships, sinking 9 AKs.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 507

RE: Turn 95 11 March, 1942 - 7/31/2010 8:52:47 PM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

Next came the strike on Pearl.

Figuring that there would be a lot of fighters, I ordered the majority of the zeroes to conduct a sweep over Oahu. Wouldn't you know it, but I
had about 100+ zeroes sweep the place in five waves and not a single fighter was spotted.

Then along comes my strike force, only to find the whole American air force in the skies ready to fight. Even worse, several of my units of kates lost co-ordination and went in without escort. All told, I lost 34 Kates for 1 bomb hit each on the battleships Arizona, California, and West Virginia.

Attachment (1)

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 508

RE: Turn 95 11 March, 1942 - 7/31/2010 8:59:01 PM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

Next turn, I will pull my carriers back to about 10 hexes out so that my kates and vals won't attack the harbor. This is also outside the strike range of all but his B-17s, which I believe are in Australia. I will then send 80% of my zeroes on a fighter sweep over Pearl to see if I can kill some enemy fighters.

After this, it is back to Japan to take on replacement aircraft and then south to the DEI for my next phase of operations there.

With the enemy carriers known to be off Oz, I need to move to that theater to support my next wave of landings. These will be coming soon, as I finished my Philippines campaign by taking both Bataan and Malabalay (the last holdout on Mindanao) this turn.

Minesweepers are now enroute to clear the approaches to Manila, and troops are heading that way for rest, refit, and to board ships for the next wave of landings in Borneo and Java.

(in reply to seydlitz_slith)

Post #: 509

RE: Turn 95 11 March, 1942 - 7/31/2010 9:01:15 PM

seydlitz_slith

Posts: 2036
Joined: 6/16/2002
From: Danville, IL
Status: offline

At Bataan, I took 2,812 casualties during the final assault, but I destroyed 37 enemy units inflicting 43,298 casualties.