Jump to content


Photo

The Battles of Badung Strait


  • Please log in to reply
No replies to this topic

#1 W. Clark

W. Clark

    Lt Colonel

  • Members
  • 604 posts
  • LocationOregon, out in the sticks

Posted 03 September 2017 - 07:50 PM

We played this in Portland, Oregon with 4 players while I played God; although poorly as I failed to make the Sun or the Moon to shine, nor the rain to fall.

 

The Battles of Badung Strait

Wind: Force 2 (4 knots) from the NW         Sky: Clear       Moon: New

Squalls & Sea Haze: None     Max Visibility: 20,000 yards  Time: 2230 hours

ABDA Striking Force: Rear Admiral Doorman

Cruiser Squadron                                                      Destroyer Division

CL HrMs De Ruyter Flag                                            DD HrMS Piet Hein

CL HrMs Java                                                              DD USS John D. Ford

                                                                                    DD USS Pope

Heading: 315 degrees                                                            Speed: 25 knots

 

Japanese Transport & Escort                                                Japanese Reinforcements

DesDiv 8: 1st Section                                                  DesDiv 8: 2nd Section

DD IJNS Oshio leader                                                 DD IJNS Arashio leader

DD IJNS Asashio                                                         DD IJNS Michishio

AP IJNS Sagami Maru

 

1st Section and AP are at anchor. DDs have steam for 18 knots. They will have steam for 25 knots 5 turns after they sight enemy and full steam 10 turns after sighting enemy.

2nd Section enters from NE on a heading of 225 degrees at 25 knots.

 

The ABDA is trying to cause as much damage as possible and get out as quickly as possible with as little damage as possible. The AP is repairing a bomb inflicted engineering hit and cannot move. The Japanese are trying to prevent the sinking of the AP.

Background

Rear Admiral Kubo had invaded Bali with 2 APs and about 7 or 8 destroyers. Admiral Doorman’s Striking Forces had been two dispersed and too distant to intercept. Never the less Admiral Doorman steamed for Bali with everything he could muster. The dispersal of his ships and the limited time to still intercede in the invasion compelled him to come at the landing piecemeal.

Admiral Kubo having accomplished the landing set sail with all but a damaged Maru and destroyers Oshio and Asashio. The Sagami Maru had suffered an engine room bomb hit and was trying to repair it. Admiral Kubo had second thoughts and returned the destroyers Arashi and Michishio to reinforce the escort.

Round 1

The Japanese through really good die rolls acquired the De Ruyter at 8,000 and 16,000 yards by the 1st and 2nd sections respectively. Captain Prestonsan held fire as did Commander Randysan as they maneuvered into position to fire torpedoes.  Admiral Doorman’s Dutch on the other hand saw nothing as they steamed directly towards the anchorage.  Oshio launched two spreads of torpedoes while Asashio launched one. At the same time Arashio launched two spreads at the Allied destroyers Commander Randysan could see trailing the Allied cruisers while Michishio fired one at the cruisers. This resulted in a cross fire of some 24 Type 93 torpedoes with 20 of them being in the first range band of 4,800 yards.

 

De Ruyter had just acquired Oshio a few minutes (6) before and turned 45 degrees to port while Java followed. Java took two torpedoes (one each from each of Oshio’s two spreads) and sank immediately. Asashio’s torps missed astern. Michishio’s torps were out of range but Arashio’s two spreads each struck the two trailing Allied destroyers John D. Ford and Pope with a torpedo each. Pope sank outright and John D. Ford was reduced to eleven knots.

 

Now gun fire erupted as each side struck at one another. Arashio and Michishio both hit Piet Hein while her return fire was ineffective. De Ruyter hit Asashio three times while receiving one in return.

 

Commander Randysan reversed course in succession to port while Captain Prestonsan reversed course together while making smoke. Asashio’s torpedoes missed Piet Hein, but Michishio’s hit her hard.

 

De Ruyter split her battery between Asashio and Sagami Maru hitting them respectively 6 and 5 times each. Japanese return fire was ineffective, but the Allies now failed morale and withdrew leaving the Japanese to lick their wounds and celebrate their victory.

 

Japanese LBA of the 21st and 22nd Air Groups found John D. Ford as she limped home at 5 knots but were unable to get the single near miss it would have taken to sink her. The end score was 1 Allied cruiser and 1 destroyer sunk and 2 destroyers crippled while the Japanese had 1 destroyer crippled as well as the AP.

Round 2

This time the Dutch cruisers got a decent acquisition roll while the Japanese die rolls were really bad. This caused Captain Prestonsan to sit at anchor while Admiral Doorman (aka Jeffski van Condon) crossed Commander Randysan’s Tee at 2,000 yards. Randysan fired 2 spreads of torpedoes at the trailing destroyers but was out of the first range band. Randysan would make smoke and turn away; but not before De Ruyter and Java knocked out all Arashio’s guns, leaving her afire with one major and several minor (EDR) fires.

 

De Ruyter also pounded Oshio (6 hits) whose return fire was ineffective. Arashio failed her morale and that led to a series of failures that caused the Japanese to abort and abandon the Sagami Maru to her fate. Commander van Bishop commanding the Allied destroyers never fired a shot before it was over and turned together to port causing the Japanese torps to miss astern.

 

This AAR is written solely from the view point of God and left out countless details that failed to register with the cosmos.






0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users