Game report - IJN v US - stop the landings !

Duke_Striker · **Duke_Striker**

The kids and I had a 200 point IJN US game - the IJN was supposed to get across the full size Hotz map and land their T1's and get 3 Kinau's across the map, protected by Akagi, Soryu and 3 Oi's. The US picked California, Alaska, Baltimore, Yorktown, San Francisco and 4 destroyers. Clearly, this was a "just for fun" game to see what would happen !

Friday, Jan. 7th, 1944

Pacific, near Guadalcanal

0800 hours

Currently aboard a classified submarine.

I have been tasked with recording the battle that shall take place at this location. In the area, we have located two “island” chains, as well as two larger islands nearby containing airbases. We have determined that the American airbase has no planes on it, due to the fact they have brought a carrier. The Japanese base has a Kamikaze Zero squadron stationed at it.

The American fleet consists of a battleship, four cruisers, four destroyers, and a carrier (Planes unknown). The Japanese fleet consists of four auxiliary ships, two carriers (containing four Jill squadrons and two Kate squadrons), and three cruisers.

The US fleet is currently in the area, with the Japanese approaching.

0950 – The Japanese have arrived, and have launched their planes. They are moving out, while fuelling their Kamikazes. The USS Yorktown has launched two squadrons of Helldivers and one squadron of Hellcats. The Hellcats spot the Jill air group and engages them. One squadron of Jills is destroyed.

1100 – The Jill group (and Kate squadrons) arrive at the Yorktown (which is currently guarded by a cruiser). The Helldivers reach the Akagi and Soryu. The squadrons abort due to superior AA. The Kates are aborted, while the Jill group begins torpedo runs, and somehow fail to hit anything.

1150 – The Alaska and Baltimore sighted the Oi lead, which sighted the Phelps. The Kates somehow surprise the Yorktown. They must have thought them returning to their carriers. The Kamikaze Zero squadron attacks the San Francisco, and is shot down without dealing any damage. One Kate squadron is destroyed, the other aborts. Helldivers attack two of the three Oi’s, utterly annihilating them in seconds.

1200 – IJN Carriers sighted by US Fleet. The remaining Oi targets the Phelps, where as the four squadrons of torpedo bombers the Japanese still have target the Yorktown again. Two of them are destroyed, one squadron aborts, and the remaining squadron drops torpedoes. Heavy damage dealt to the Yorktown. The Phelps is crippled, while the Oi fires Long Lance torpedoes at the Alaska, crippling it as well. The Oi takes a hit, while the Akagi fires at, and misses the Alaska. The Soryu targets, and misses, the San Francisco, while the Alaska and Baltimore miss the Oi, somehow.
The Kidd and Hoel miss the Soryu, while the Samuel B. Roberts misses the Akagi. The San Francisco deals damage with its main guns to the Akagi. The California deals damage with both main and secondary batteries to the Akagi, which cripples the San Francisco. Must be embarrassing.

1250 – US ships converge on the remaining Oi. Landing craft hide in an island. A torpedo run on the Yorktown by a Jill, which aborts. The Oi targets the Alaska with torpedoes, and misses. The landing craft fire at the crippled Phelps, somehow destroying it. Must have been a lucky shot. The Oi fires at the Baltimore, and misses. The Soryu fires at the Samuel B. Roberts, missing. The Akagi fires everything at the Roberts, crippling it with main guns and missing with secondaries. The Phelps’ salvoes reach the landing craft, destroying quite a few of them, and miss the Oi. The Alaska turns its guns on the Oi, crippling it. About time. The Kidd misses the Oi. The Baltimore outright annihilates it and the remaining landing craft. The Samuel B. Roberts and the San Francisco fire on the Soryu, crippling it.

1300 – The Japanese are desperate, now. They are moving at high speed towards the Yorktown, intent on destroying it for some reason. All bombers have been launched, with kamikaze intentions. Helldivers deal damage to the Akagi, which fires on the California, and misses. The Soryu somehow sinks the San Francisco, who had fired at the same time and obliterated it. The crippled Hoel fires its last torpedo at the Akagi from quite a distance. The Akagi doesn’t notice it, and it strikes the back, causing a ridiculous amount of damage, sinking it. I applaud whoever aimed that torpedo. Three Japanese supply ships have been sighted. Two were annihilated by the Kidd, the third destroyed by the Alaska. The two Jills manage to get through AA fire and strike the Yorktown, crippling it. The Japanese fleet was slaughtered. The US lost a cruiser and a destroyer.

I personally think this was not a battle, more like a slaughter.
Signed,
Commander Wm A. Martens

Bartacus · **Bartacus**

Thanks for posting, I love the idea of the scenario.

The sides did look rather uneven, I think the IJN needed some escorting destroyers in addition (between 4 & 6) to give them a chance of holding off the US onslaught.

The_lucky_Y · **The_lucky_Y**

jfkziegler · **jfkziegler**

Have you tried using the Troop Landing Rules? They might really benefit this scenario.
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ultimatepower22 · **ultimatepower22**

'Sup. WM here, I made an account.

Anyways, yeah. I would have taken destroyers, but I used up too many points on planes. I wanted plenty of torps, so I took the 6 torpedo bombers, 2 carriers, and the Oi's.

Another Battle Report coming up, with me as the US vs the Italians, I believe (I won).
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