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CG vs CG Question


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#1 Thomas J Fitzgerald

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Posted 23 February 2012 - 07:29 PM

A carrier action is played out over 3 rounds per day. What happens if a carrier is disabled or crippled before the 3rd round? I know it would be prudent for the damaged CV to withdraw, however in an action were a side has 2 CGs, I can see where keeping the damaged CV out there to potentially draw fire would be a benefit. Would this be permissable, assuming the CG with the damaged CV meet the min ship requirements as outlined by a CG mission?

#2 gregoryk

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Posted 24 February 2012 - 11:21 PM

A carrier action is played out over 3 rounds per day. What happens if a carrier is disabled or crippled before the 3rd round? I know it would be prudent for the damaged CV to withdraw, however in an action were a side has 2 CGs, I can see where keeping the damaged CV out there to potentially draw fire would be a benefit. Would this be permissable, assuming the CG with the damaged CV meet the min ship requirements as outlined by a CG mission?

Yes you can keep the crippled ships in action, although I cannot see when this would be advantageous, losing a carrier is costly.

#3 Thomas J Fitzgerald

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Posted 25 February 2012 - 12:33 PM

Yes you can keep the crippled ships in action, although I cannot see when this would be advantageous, losing a carrier is costly.


Yes losing a CV would be costly, but losing the campaign more so. Since I don't think any of my campaign players visit the site let me put the original question in some context.

Campaign is in its 4th month, with Marines still holding Henderson (Japaense failed in their assult during month 3). Japanese however are ahead in points, but have suffered greater losses to shipping. Both sides are unaware of the actual index at this point. The US has not conducted any recon, and as the referee, I only provide the players info based on results they observe, or gain from a intel rolls. There have been a couple CG vs CG battles in previous months both sides know they have inflicted losses, and think they are on the verge of knocking the enemy CV forces out of action (basing this on player chatter). This brings us to month 4s action: Both sides sortie 2 CGs

USN CG1 2 x CV, CG2 1x CV
IJN CG1 2 x CV, CG2 1x CVL

CG vs CG round 1 IJN strike advantage
IJN CG1 locates and atackes USN CG2 resulting in crippling damage to USN CV. IJN admiral making the decisions is not the same player as the one who conducted the strike on the table, so the decision maker only gets a report based on what pilots claim and a post strike photo (wish I could insert here but don't know how). Based on pilot claims the IJN admiral thinks the US CV is sunk. USN decides to with draw the cripple.

CG vs CG round 2 USN strike advantage
Since USN has strike advantage as ref I judged that their withdrawal of CG2 would be successful. USN CG1 locates and attackes IJN CG1. Results in 1 IJN CV disabled (1x torp and some bomb damage), and 1 IJN CV crippled (multiple bomb hits no longer able to launch aircraft). USN took some significant losses to the attacking air groups.

This brings us back to the original post. Round 3 is coming up, The IJN thinks he sunk 1 USN CV and has beat up the attacking airgroups of the other CG. The IJN knows he has 1 CG that has not engaged, and that his crippled CV in the other CG in unable to conduct strikes, but his disabled CV is still cabale of flight ops. As it is month 4 he knows once the disabled CV is sent back it will not be repaired in time to get back to action.

The IJN admiral is now considering, if he keeps the "damaged" CVs in the fight they may draw a strike away from his undamged CV, allowing him to stay in the fight longer, with a possiblity of inflicting damage to the remaing USN CG, and not taking any damage to his as of yet unengaged CG.


Historically a some what similar situation occured at Midway with Yorktown taking damage from Hiryu's 1st strike, and then was still in that battle area and drew Hiryu's 2nd strike as well. I concede that this was not a deliberate action on the USN's part, just was not the time to get Yorktown out of the way. This did allow Enterprise and Hornet to launch the coup de gras on Hiryu.

#4 Cpt M

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Posted 25 February 2012 - 10:49 PM

Your IJN commander has a tough decision. Generally, it would be more prudent to withdraw the CG with the damaged and crippled CVs (its a whole lot easier and faster to repair a damaged ship than build a new one). But this case makes for some interesting choices. If your IJN admiral opts to withdraw, he loses the use of the damaged CV's air group. Keep it around and he risks an attack on it and the probable loss of the crippled ship and, possibly, the already damaged ship. Complicating this is the fact that one US carrier is thought to be sunk (actually crippled, but, effectively, the same thing) with the remaining two CV's air groups badly chewed up.

Which leads to the following questions for your IJN admiral:

Do I do the prudent thing and save the crippled CV, thereby removing half (or more) of my air strength when the USN air groups are at their weakest?

Or do I risk the crippled CV in an attempt to deal a knockout blow against a weakend USN defense, while depending on my CAP to deal with a depleted USN air attack?

No matter which way he goes, he might become the goat or the hero (kinda like the real world, that....).

Not an easy choice (and, frankly, I don't know what I'd do). But then if you're going to wear the big gold braid and sit at the head of the big long table, you're going to get the big hard decisions.....

Let us know how it turns out, I'd be interested is seeing the results.

#5 Thomas J Fitzgerald

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Posted 15 April 2012 - 10:34 AM

After making the hard choices, round 3 CG vs CG action ended with an unable to locate enemy result.

IJN Admiral elected to keep his disabled CV in the fight, and send the cripple back with an escort of 3 DD's. I advised as ref, I would allow but there would be a chance that a US strike could find the cripple as they would not be far from his 1st CG, should a late afternoon strike occur. He took the chance, and the engaement resolution chart roll ended the action. Both CV's will now be heading back to Japan for repair leaving him with 1 carrier operational in the theater.

On the positive side the IJN made a sucessful assault this turn (turn 4), So the US player options have now been limited. Only 3 CD's avail for them in turn 5, 1 likely a supply and the other an assault. Will see what the US does shortly as both sides commanding admirals got a recap of the overall intel for turn 4 actions, based on what they observed, or could deduce from enemy actions.




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