This is my 4th or 5th game of GQ3.3 mostly still focusing on getting comfortable with all the surface engagement rules before branching out into Aerial and Submarine rules. Attached is the excel sheet with the order of battle and the Crudely drawn map of the engagement. B Also at the end of the post you can see my crudely drawn map of the entire engagement. This was played at 1cm = 200yds a scale I feel fits a 6x4 table really well but was played with some too big of models at 1:1800 which is the size my Pacific fleets are modeled in. The Images did not pull through but they are on my Blog if you want to see the AAR with pics, link in the signature. Thanks for reading!
Turn 1 – USN Task Force enters the battlefield from the SW corner with the Cruiser Division lead by the USS Northampton, USS New Orleans, USS Indianapolis, USS Salt Lake City at 10 knots at bearing 48 degrees NE. The 4 Destroyer divisions increased speed to 20 knots splitting into 2 groups of 2 to intercept the Japanese destroyers. The Left Flank consisted of the USS Dale and the USS Mahan, the Right Flank included the USS Ellet and the USS Jarvis.
The IJN Cruiser force began their Naval bombardment of the Island fortifications with the cruiser division lead by the IJN Kinugasa. This division consisted of the Light Cruisers Kinugasa, Aoba, Tenryu and Yuburi. This bombardment was screen by a Destroyer Squadron of the Shirayuki, Hatsuyuki and Yunagi.
With the Japanese destroyers moving at 20 knots to intercept the USN Task Force opened fire from the 8” guns on the Northampton and the New Orleans scoring massive hits on the Shirayuki taking out her aft X Turret, hitting a torpedo tube and starting a fire on her deck, breaching the Bulkhead causing flooding in the lower decks, and jamming the rudder to her Port.
The Japanese Cruiser division began their bombardment with the 8” guns of the Kingugasa and Aoba and the 5.5” guns of the Tenryu and Yuburi with the only successful hit from Aoba hitting some field works.
Turn 2 - With no returning fire from the IJN Destroyers the USN continued to close the distance. The US Cruisers holding 10 knots allowing the USS Ellet and USS Jarvis to move pasted the cruisers. The US Destroyers both increasing seed to 30 knots and moving to engage the Japanese destroyers.
The IJN cruisers continued their slow 10 knot crawl while bombarding the islands scoring 2 bombardment hits.
The Shirayuki unable to repair the bulkhead damage continued to circle to port with it’s jammed rudder and quickly flooding hull it’s speed was quickly reduced to 15 knots. Shirayuki breaks off from the Squadron as she circles. The US Task Force continued to pummel the Shirayuki with 8” shells causing another fire to break out on the deck and the ship beginning to list and then topple over into the sea.
The Aoba staring down the central island with the US Task Force appearing in the background
Turn 3 – Shirayuki taking on water at listing badly she rolls over and sinks to the bottom of the sea. The Americans have drawn first blood. The remaining Japanese destroyers answer back the Hatsuyuki launches a spread of 4 Type 93 Torpedoes and the Yunagi Launches a spread of 3 Type 90 Torpedoes. In an exchange with the USS Ellet the IJN Destroyers score several hits on the American destroyer hitting a torpedo mount,5” Gun Turret, and hitting the engineering room. The Americans continue their advance towards the IJN Cruisers with the Dale and Mahan continuing a flanking maneuver to the rear of the destroyer formation. The US Cruisers continue their shelling of the remaining IJN Destroyers. Scoring more several direct hits.
Turn 4 - 2 Torpedoes from the Hatsuyuki slam into the Hull of the USS Indianapolis crippling the US Cruiser forcing it to fall out of line. The US Cruisers change their heading towards the ESE to intercept the south sailing IJN Cruisers. The Destroyers continue to trade 5” shells with the IJN launching a second salvo of Torpedoes towards the American cruisers.
Turn 5 – The Yunagi suddenly slows causing the US Destroyer Ellet to slam into the Starboard side of the Japanese destroyer breaching the hull the Yunagi sinking in mere minutes. But the Yunagi does get off one last Salvo of torpedoes before sinking. The Hatsuyuki launchs their last spread of torpedoes and changes course to return to the Cruiser division who has begun to engage the US Cruisers. The Japanses cuiser launches their Torpedo spread towards the US Cruisers.
Turn 6 – Facing fire from both Japanese Light Cruisers the USS Ellet is forced to withdraw from the engagement with severe hull damage and loss of nearly all their man guns. The USS Northampton and USS New Orleans land several hits on the Kinugasa and the Aoba with fires breaking out on the Floatplane deck of the Kinugasa with their man guns but in the exchange the Northampton loses a secondary gun, and their aft main guns.
Turn 7 – The fire between the US Cruisers and the IJN Cruisers starts to intensify. The crew of the Kinugasa is unable to put out the fire as an 8” shell hits the a torpedo mount igniting a second fire. The US Navy has the upper hand in the cruiser engagement at this point.
Turn 8 – With fires ravishing the Kinugasa two shells from the US Cruisers break the Bulkheads of Aoba causing flooding. The USS Jarvis launches a set of torpedoes under the intense fire of both Japanese Light Cruisers. Japanese at this point foresee a humiliating defeat trying everything they can to regain speed and withdraw from the engagement.
Turn 9 – Things are too late for the Tenryu as fire from the American cruisers rip through the hull and cause her to sink under the waves as well as the Hatsayuki which was badly crippled and starting to roll finally rolls over and sinks. The IJN has now lost 3 destroyers, 1 Light Cruiser. With the remaining Heavy Cruisers badly damaged.
Turn 10 – With one last ditch effort the Kinugasa and Aoba launch torpedoes but these torpedoes and the ones from the Yuburi earlier will all miss the US Task Force.
Turn 11 – This signaled the end of the engagement with the Kinugasa barely holding 5 knots with 2 fires still raging on the deck and the Aoba taking water fast. Neither ship would make it back to the fleet as the Aoba would continue taking on water and sink not more than 30 minutes after the Americans break off contact. The Kinugasa would see a no better fate forced to abandon ship she would need to be scuttled.
Final Map of the Action (Roughly drawn)
Final score:
USN: 20 VP for the USN Successfully sweeping the islands sinking 3 IJN Destroyers, 1 IJN Light Cruiser and Crippling 2 IJN Heavy Cruisers.
IJN: Would score a lowly 6 VP. Only able to maintain 4 turns of Bombardment on the islands and only managing to cripple 2 Destroyers and 1 Heavy Cruiser
Attached Files
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AAR1 Map2.jpg 52.24KB
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AAR1 Log.png 24.24KB
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