Here is text of recent session report for SOPAC, as posted at BGG http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/4338833 ================================================================= SWWAS: SOPAC Operational Scenario 1; Coral Sea Nov 2009 Introduction The Japanese have two invasion forces, a small one tasked with occupying Tulagi and a much larger one to be used for an invasion and capture of the Allied base at Port Moresby. Supporting these two invasion task forces are a small seaplane reconnaissance force centered around CVS Kamikawa Maru and a larger striking force consisting of the carriers CV Shokaku and CV Zuikaku. The Allies have a large collection of planes at Port Moresby, Task Force 17, built around the carriers CV Lexington and CV Yorktown , two fleet oilers and a small task force featuring two Australian ships, CA Australia and CL Hobart The Japanese striking force is there to protect the two invasion forces. Historically the Japanese and American carriers traded blows in the first naval battle fought in which neither side’s ships were able to see each other. Lexington was sunk and then both sides broke off, with the Japanese abandoning their attempt to capture Port Moresby from the sea. Let’s see how it plays out this time. 1-May-1942 Both Japanese invasion forces are giving a transport mission, which means they have to plot their movement all the way to their destinations right from the beginning. The Port Moresby bound force plots roughly SW from Rabaul across the Solomon Sea, then through the China Strait passage off Milne Bay, then along the southern coast of New Guinea to Port Moresby, with arrival at roughly sunset on 6-May, five days from now. The Tulagi force, who will be investigating that island for a possible airfield (this is before either side had any interest in Guadalcanal) is plotted to head east from Rabaul, then SE along the northeastern side of the Solomon Islands, before slipping past Savo Island into Tulagi. The American carriers spend the day fueling in the SE corner of the map. The day is mostly rainy which hides them from the Japanese search planes and interferes with bombing missions both sides had planned, exchanging airstrikes between the Japanese base of Lae on the northern side of New Guinea and the Allied base of Port Moresby. 2-May-1942 The weather worsens, rain everywhere and occasional storms, which keep the aircraft of both sides grounded. The Japanese transports continue their slow journey and the Japanese striking force trails along, running down the western side of the Solomon Island chain, thus staying roughly equidistant between the two invasion forces. The seaplane recon force, in searching for an appropriate place to anchor and start launching planes, decides to head for Rendova, one of the southern most islands in the Solomons. From there they can search further into the SE than even the Mavis flying boats based at Rabaul. But there is an American sub lurking off the island and she fires three torpedoes into CL Tenryu, sinking her just before midnight as the storm blows up into a full squall. 3-May-1942 At first light the Japanese have a chance at revenge, one of their submarines is in the same sea zone as the US carriers which have finished fueling and started moving west, but the Japanese fail their contact roll. As the dawn breaks, the Japanese reconsider the role of the recon force, with only 1 step of Zeros aboard CVS Kamikawa Maru isn’t going to be able to cover much ground anyway, so she turns back west with the idea of joining the Port Moresby invasion force for mutual protection. But by late afternoon this leaves her small force alone in the middle of the Solomon Sea and within range of the American carriers, who wipe out the whole task force. In late afternoon the rain stops and both sides send out search aircraft, but only the Japanese are successful, finding the American carriers while going undiscovered themselves. CV Shokaku and CV Zuikaku launch their attack planes, but they have to form different flights per special scenario rule which helps reflects the difficulty of coordinating planes form two different carriers The Kates from CV Shokaku arrive first, and are intercepted and splashed by the American Combat Air Patrol (CAP). These leaves the American fighters at low altitude and while they splash one more of the Kates from CV Zuikaku, they don’t touch the Val divebombers pushing over from higher altitude. Two steps of the Vals attack CV Yorktown , but are thrown off by the intense anti-aircraft fire (AA). The remaining planes attack CV Lexington , destroying four of 10 hull sections and damaging the flight deck slightly, for the loss of one more step of Vals. Once darkness falls the Allied Surface Action Group (SAG), lead by the Australian CA Australia , goes to flank speed and heads north. During the night they slip around the southern end of the Solomons and take position northeast of Tulagi where they hope to intercept the Japanese invasion force. 4-May-1942 It’s raining again by 0800 and the Allied SAG can’t locate the Japanese. By late afternoon the weather has deteriorated further, turning into a full blown squall, which cause both US carriers to lose a full step of fighters as they try to land their CAP before darkness. The Japanese have no such problem, recovering their planes without mishap. But in the seas north of Tulagi the Allied SAG finds it quarry. With only two destroyers for an escort the Japanese are no match for the Allied ships and all of their ships are sunk with no losses to the Allied ships. That night, the SAG turns south again, this time driving straight through the Solomons and bypassing Savo Island on their way to a rendezvous with their oiler. All of the ships are low on fuel from the high-speed chase and battle maneuvering, the destroyers in particular are practically dry. 5-May-1942 With the Tulagi invasion force sunk, it is clear the remaining action will have to occur off New Guinea. The Allied SAG has not completely refueled but by 1000 they cast off and head west at high speed. The American carriers are already further west, waiting for a chance at the Japanese invasion force still coming south and the Japanese carriers almost due north of the Americans. But the weather remains bad, rain keeps the various air searchers from finding anybody on either side and the Japanese invasion force successfully rounds the Samurai Islands off Milne Bay at the tip of New Guinea, with their carriers following along about 60 miles behind. As the daylight fades the Japanese transfer as many planes as they can to the airfield at Lae on the northern coast of New Guinea in anticipation of the big fight ahead. 6-May-1942 The weather has been clearing all night, and at daybreak it is full clear. Both sides launch search aircraft and this time they find almost all of the ships. The carriers on both sides are revealed, as is the Japanese invasion force, only the Allied SAG, still coming west, remains undiscovered. Escorting the Japanese transports is CVL Shoho , who launches her Zeros into protective CAP over the invasion fleet. The Allies send out a fighter sweep from Port Moresby, but those pilots fail to find the Japanese ships despite the position reports radioed from the Catalina now shadowing them. A second flight from Port Moresby, bombers this time, does find the Japanese but all of their bombs miss. Meanwhile, both sides are launching their carrier based planes against each other. Zuikaku’s planes get lost and have to return to their carrier, but Shokaku’s planes have better luck, not only do they find the American’s, but the US CAP is out of position and fails to intercept. Ineffective AA fire does little to deter the Japanese, who focus their attack on the CV Lexington . Multiple hits destroy all but the very last hull box on the previously damaged carrier, knocking her speed down to 2+ and leaving her in danger of foundering. Even as their home is being pummeled the American planes are attacking the Japanese carriers. Lexington’s group attacks Shokaku, scoring four hull hits and slowing her to 2+, just as their own carrier was slowed. Yorktown’s planes focus on Zuikaku. After losing one step to the CAP, the Americans are delighted to find the AA fire wildly inaccurate. Twelve steps of dive-bombers roar in, to miss completely! But the only two steps of Devastator torpedo bombers put their torpedoes on target, scoring a critical hit that erases 6 hull boxes and leaves the Japanese carrier dead in the water. By noon both sides are recovering their strike aircraft on board their damaged carriers and preparing for a second round as soon as they can rearm and refuel. At 1400 hours the Allied SAG reaches the same sea zone as the Invasion force, but can’t make contact. The high speed run has left one destroyer, DD Perkins , so short on fuel that she is detached to make her way to Port Moresby at her most fuel efficient speed, dead slow. The other ships continue to search for the Japanese. About 1600 hours the Allies launch their strike aircraft again. Again Port Moresby sends a fighter sweep and level bomber strike against the transports. This time both sides lose a few fighters and the Allied bombers get one hit on DD Mochitzuki , a destroyer on the periphery of the Japanese formation as the bombers decided against braving all of the AA fire protecting CVL Shoho and the transports in the middle of the formation. The American carriers also send their planes against the invasion force as it is clear the Japanese carriers are at least temporarily out of the flight. Lexington’s already depleted strike force loses an SBD to the Shoho’s CAP, then the remaining planes are shot down by the AA fire. Yorktown sends 10 steps, losing one to the Zeros on CAP. Four steps target CVL Shoho , and are all shot down by AA. Clearly the Japanese have their best gunners on the cruisers and destroyers of this escorting force! The other Yorktown planes do manage to sink one transport, the only American victory of the afternoon raid. Darkness falls and the action switches from the air to the surface as the Allied SAG finally makes contact with the Japanese transports now approaching the coast. The Japanese have 1 light carrier, 4 cruisers, a light cruiser and 6 destroyers, vs. the 2 cruisers, 1 light cruiser and one destroyer of the Allies. At first CA Chicago and CA Australia are able to use their superior ranged armament to good advantage, hurting the Japanese destroyers before their cruisers can come up. But a Long Lance torpedo, launched at long range, gets a critical hit on CL Hobart , slowing her and allowing the Japanese to close in. Good gunnery from CA Chicago sinks CL Yubari and two destroyers, DD Oite and DD Mochitzuki . But another salvo of long lances sinks CA Australia and then concentrated Japanese gunfire knocks out all but one turret in CA Chicago . As the Allies turn to break off, more gunfire catches and sinks DD Walke . Although the Japanese have the advantage in both numbers and speed now, they can’t pursue without leaving the transports exposed, so they reluctantly turn back themselves. By 2000 hours they are back with the transports, who have anchored off Port Moresby and begun to disembark their troops. 7-May-1942 During the night both sides are licking their wounds. CA Chicago and CL Hobart join up with the American carriers, about 200 miles south of Port Moresby. DD Perkins slips around the Japanese ships and into Port Moresby. Running on fumes she has to be refueled before she can get back into the fight. For the Japanese carriers, there is little more they can contribute, but they are reluctant to scuttle CV Zuikaku. A repair party tries to restore even minimal propulsion, while the rest of the fleet stands by nervously. By 0400 the Allies have decided to send CV Lexington into Port Moresby because she has little chance of making it all the way back to Australia with only one undamaged hull box. That leaves almost no carrier planes available, so they also decide to dispatch the undamaged cruisers and destroyers of the escort to attack the Japanese transports. Just before dawn, CV Zuikaku reports she is underway again! As dawn breaks the weather is still cloudy and neither side can mount much of an airstrike anyway. But the Allied surface ships fall upon the Japanese invasion force off Port Moresby. It is a slaughter. The 4 US cruisers arrive fresh and undamaged, their Japanese counterparts have already survived several airstrikes and last night’s surface battle, which left them exhausted and in many cases damaged. All four Japanese cruisers are sunk, then their destroyers. The Japanese manage only to sink one US destroyer DD Monahgan before the Americans are in among the defenseless transports. Many of the Japanese soldiers make it to shore, but their guns and supplies go down with the ships and they no longer threaten Port Moresby. By noon the Allied ships are anchoring in the port and even CV Yorktown comes gliding in to join them. The Japanese see a chance and launch an all out airstrike from Lae. The Japanese send 7 steps of fighters as escorts, so a tremendous air battle erupts with the CAP over the base, but enough bombers make it through to hit CV Lexington one more time, sinking the carrier. This causes the Allied ships to up anchor and head out. Some of the destroyers were refueled, but there wasn’t enough time for the cruisers or CV Yorktown . Yorktown is also missing most of her plane complement by now, so the Allies decide to send her with the damaged escorts back to Australia. That leaves 3 cruisers and 5 destroyers who still have their torpedoes to chase the retreating Japanese carriers. These 8 ships are quickly formed up into a new SAG. By midnight the Allied SAG has almost caught up to the Japanese carriers, just off Milne Bay. 8-May-1942 In the predawn darkness the Allies find the Japanese ships. Again the Allies have a range advantage with their cruisers and they attempt to hold their position at the maximum night time sighting range of 3 hexes. Both sides trade gunfire for little effect, but the Allies are slowly drawing around the Japanese escorts towards the slower carriers, so the Japanese have their destroyers rush in for a torpedo attack. The Japanese split the torpedoes, damaging two of the cruisers and sinking two of the American destroyers. But five of the six Japanese destroyers are also sunk. The advantage appears to be with the Allies now, but a critical hit on CA Portland by CA Myoko sinks the American cruiser. The two surviving US cruisers and three destroyers continue to trade fire with the Japanese escorts, but the carriers are slowly drawing away. The gunfire exchange is not causing much harm, but the Japanese cruisers suddenly turn in for their own torpedo attack, sinking CA Chester and badly damaging CA New Orleans . The remaining Allies break off and watch as the Japanese slip off into the night. Aftermath Both sides started with two carriers, CV Lexington was sunk and CV Yorktown badly damaged. CV Zuikaku is barely afloat, and CV Shokaku, although untouched, has lost almost her entire air group. In fact, both sides have seen their carrier air groups decimated. The Japanese lost more ships, including all of their transports and their escorts in the two invasion fleets. Which also meant they failed to secure either Tulagi or Port Moresby, the two strategic goals for this campaign. So an overwhelming Allied victory. A bit of commentary It was interesting to see how the carriers vs. carriers battle played out. Very close to history with Lexington sunk (again) and the air groups depleted. Yorktown likely could be made ready for the battle of Midway in June, and CV Shokaku and CV Zuikaku likely would not, even if the Japanese shipyard at Kure could patch up Zuikaku like the Americans historical patched Yorktown at Pearl Harbor, they still would have the same problem they did in the real world of replacing the planes and pilots. This game departed from history in a big way when the Japanese decided to press ahead with their invasion of Port Moresby despite the presence of the Allied fleet. Greatly aided by the poor weather, they were able to round the tip of New Guinea, and even make it to Port Moresby. But then two surface battles, the first a successful defense against a numerically inferior foe, then a slaughter at the hands of a rested and numerically superior task force sealed the deal. The latter seems frightfully one-sided, but I think it was a realistic outcome, and a good reminder of why real world admirals did not press ahead with invasions and hope for the best. Hope just doesn’t provide enough help when cruisers target anchored transports. The historical Japanese seem well justified in their decision to call off the Port Moresby invasion after the battle of the Coral Sea. I had a good time with this game and I hope you enjoyed reading about it.