Savo Island Play Test
VAdm Mikawa’s scratch force entered the table in Zone 2E at 2300 hours at 20 knots. Mikawa was aware from earlier area reconnaissance that the Allies had landings occurring at Laguna Point (Zone 4C off Guadalcanal) and at Tulagi (Zone 4A). Mikawa’s stated goal was to disrupt those landings but circumstances would dictate.
Mikawa’s plan was to hug the eastern shore line of Guadalcanal all the way to Laguna Point to take advantage of the land shadow if possible. He wanted to sink stuff without getting sunk in return.
The wind was a Force 2 westerly at 4 knots. The sky was cloudy with only 1 layer. The moon state was new. There were squalls with more expected. Maximum visibility was 20,000 yards but would vary per ship. There was a cloud bank hovering just southeast of Savo Island. Smoke lasts two turns.
I’m using 1 to 18,000 (or 1 inch = 500 yards) to make the math easier. Every knot is a third of an inch. And this is a play test to see if the attached map does what I hoping it will.
The first test of Mikawa’s plan occurred before he could enter Iron Bottom Sound. The Allies had a picket destroyer covering the entrance to the sound between Guadalcanal and Savo Island. USS Blue rolled a 12 (a total whiff) for radar contact and then reversed her course in blissful ignorance and steamed away as Mikawa entered the sound. Had Blue made contact she could have reported the contact to the Southern Force and they (if they rolled 1-5 on a D12) could have also reported the contact on up the chain. Also, in that case Blue (as a picket) could have closed the contact but absent an order from an admiral could not leave her patrol zone (2D).
The next test was when Mikawa encountered the Southern Force in 3C. Bagley, Patterson and Canberra all obtained radar contact (die rolls of 1,3 & 4) with Mikawa’s force. Bagley, Patterson and Canberra reported the contact to Bode on Chicago (all they could do as private ships). Bode ignored all three reports (die rolls of 6, 8 & 10) and therefore did not pass the reports onto RAdm Crutchley. Of Mikawa’s Force only Asanagi failed to acquire to the Allied ships. Mikawa decided to use his cruiser’s port torpedoes to engage the Southern Force and reserved his starboard torpedoes for the anchorage at Laguna Point.
Mikawa’s cruisers were within 6,500 yards of the Allied ships. Chokai targeted Chicago and hit her once. Chicago took 4 hull and lost her aft turret. Aoba missed but Kinugasa, Furutaka and Kako hit Canberra once each. Canberra took 10 hull and sank. There was other damage but like the Culligan man it was under water. Tenryu hit Bagley once and sank her. Yubari missed Patterson. Mikawa steamed on without firing and began reloading his port TT.
As Mikawa approached the Laguna Point Anchorage he was picked up on radar by both Australia and Selfridge. Selfridge reported the contact to RAdm Turned aboard McCawley. Turner ignored the report (rolled an 11). Crutchley also failed to credit his radar (rolled a 7) and no one did anything. At this point Mikawa had his spotter a/c drop flares over the anchorage at Laguna Point. The flares bracketed the anchorage and illuminated either end of the anchored ships.
Chokai, Aoba, Kinugasa, Furutaka and Kako acquired transports as did Tenryu as soon as they had entered the first range band at 4,200 yards. Mikawa had all his ships target the anchored transports and cargo carriers with their starboard TT. Chokai targeted McCawley and Hunter Liggett. Aoba targeted Fuller, Kinugasa targeted American Legion, Furutaka targeted Barnett and Kako targeted Crescent City. Tenryu targeted President Adams and Yubari targeted President Hayes while Asanagi targeted Bellatrix.
The Allied APs and AKs being at anchor counted as DIW with no evasion possible. In addition, the ships were anchored close enough to one another that a miss either ahead or behind might hit the ship next to the target. And further more any torps that missed the first row might hit the second or even the third. It was a torpedoman’s dream and only if the anchored ship had been capital ships could it have been improved upon.
Chokai hit McCawley and Hunter Liggett once each. Sinking Hunter Liggett and damaging a bulkhead on McCawley as well as setting her cargo on fire which caused additional hull damage. Aoba hit Fuller once. Fuller suffered damage to 2 bulkheads and had her engine knocked out leaving her DIW without power to her pumps. Kinugasa missed American Legion astern and hit Barnett once. Furutaka also hit Barnett once. Barnett suffered 4 bulkhead hits and had her engine knocked out leaving her without power to her pumps as well as another hull hit. Kako hit Crescent City once. Cresent City suffered 2 bulkhead hits as well as another hull hit. Tenryu hit President Adams once critically that inflicted 3 hull and knocked out her engine. Yubari missed President Hayes, then Libra and finally hit Alhena once. Alhena suffered two bulkhead hits. Yunagi hit Bellatrix once. Bellatrix suffered two bulkhead hits.
But the jig was up as Selfridge and her consorts acquired Chokai, Aoba and Kinugasa.
Selfridge fired rapidly at Kinugasa hitting her twice. Kinugasa loss a port side secondary and took a hull hit. Mugford fired rapidly at Aoba and hit her once knocking out her port (reloaded) TT and started a major fire that illuminated Aoba. Henley fired rapidly at Chokai and hit her once, knocking out her fore turret. With their presence now known the Japanese opened up. Chokai fired her MB at McCawley hitting her four times, hitting her bridge (and RAdm Turner) twice and damaging 2 more bulkheads. McCawley sank. Chokai targeted Henley with her SB and firing rapidly missed her. Aoba fired her MB at Fuller and hit her 4 times, knocking out her bridge, setting a major cargo fire and damaging her hull twice. Aoba targeted Mugford with her SB and firing rapidly missed her (in yet another case of haste makes waste). Kinugasa targeted American Legion with her MB and hit her 8 times. American Legion took a bridge hit, lost an AA mount, had her engine knocked out, a major cargo fire set and three hits to her hull. Kinugasa fired rapidly at Selfridge with her secondary and hit her once, knocking out a fore turret. Furutaka fired her MB at Barnett and hit her 9 times. Barnett suffered 3 minor cargo fires, three hull hits and two bulkheads damaged. Kako fired at Australia with her MB and hit her 4 times. Australia took a hit to her FP facilities that started a major fire, lost her fore turret, a hull hit and a bulkhead damaged. Kako fired her SB rapidly at Crescent City and hit her once, starting a major cargo fire. Tenryu fired at President Adams and hit her once, starting a major cargo fire. Yubari fired at President Hayes and hit her 9 times. President Hayes suffered a major cargo fire, her bridge knocked out, 2 minor cargo fires, critical hits to her bridge and engine as well as a second hit to her engine destroying it, a hull hit and a bulkhead damaged.
Asanagi fired at Bellatrix and while marking her with the sign of the beast (she rolled three sixes) failed to damage her with gunfire.
The APs and AKs afire now checked their morale. Fuller, Barnett and American Legion made their morale. Crescent City and President Hayes did not and their crews abandoned ship. The entire transport force failed its morale over the loss of RAdm Turner and any excuse to jump ship would therefore be acted upon.
RAdm Crutchley ordered the Northern and Eastern Forces to the Laguna Point anchorage as well as what was left of the Southern Force. Mikawa fully expected the Allies to now react violently to his incursion and decided to forgo the pleasure of a jaunt to Tulagi. He would reverse course, paste the anchorage again in passing and try to escape the way he came in.
Fuller failed to put her fire out and hull damage (1 more & sunk). Barnett fixed a bulkhead but that left 5 unrepaired and she sank. Crescent City from her fire and bulkhead damage and took two more hull (1 more & sunk). American Legion failed to put her major fire out and suffered another hull damage. President Adams put her fire out. President Hayes suffered 3 more hull from her fires and bulkhead damage and sank. Alhena failed to fix either of her damaged bulkheads and took two more hull hits. Bellatrix failed to fix either of her damaged bulkheads and took two more hull.
Aoba failed to fix her major fire and took another hull. Australia failed to repair and her fire and bulkhead gave her two more hull.
Selfridge, Mugford and Henley each targeted Kinugasa, Aboa and Chokai with their torpedoes.
Mikawa reversed course, but at 20 knots (Furutaka’s limit) it would not occur totally within 3 minutes. Australia got under way and presented her broadside to the Japanese. Selfridge and her destroyers paralleled Mikawa’s new course. The Northern, Eastern and remnant of the Southern Forces turned towards Laguna Point.
Selfridge missed Kinugasa. Aoba tried to evade but Mugford hit her once. Aoba took 5 hull and an engine hit slowing her to 10 knots. Henley hit Chokai with each spread for two hits total. But the famed Mark VI imploder acted in the Japanese favor for the umpteenth time and both hits were duds (2 fours rolled).
Chokai fired her MB at Australia and hit her 6 times (two coming from the turrets the duds failed to knockout). Australia had her SL destroyed, lost a secondary, a fore and an aft turret, her engines damaged and her rudder jammed to port. Australia fired back and hit Chokai thrice, Damaging Chokai’s FP facilities, setting a minor fire, the loss of a fore turret to flooding, a hull hit and jamming her rudder to port while illuminating her. This has become known as the circling of the admirals. The unkind said that they were only playing leap frog. Chokai fired her SB rapidly at Alhena and hit her thrice, once in the bridge, once in the hull and then in her engine. Aoba fired her MB at American Legion and missed her. Aoba fired her SB at Selfridge rapidly and hit her twice. Selfridge suffered hull hit and a hit to her engine that slowed her to 23 knots. Selfridge fired rapidly at Aoba and hit her twice. Aoba suffered a hull hit and lost a fore turret. Kinugasa fired her MB at President Adams and hit her 4 times. President Adams suffered a bridge hit, 2 minor cargo fires and a hull hit. Kinugasa fired her SB rapidly at Mugford and missed her. Mugford fired back rapidly and hit Kinugasa once, damaging her hull. Furutaka fired her MB at Libra and hit her 4 times. Libras suffered two minor cargo fires and two hull hits. Furutaka fired her SB rapidly at Alchiba and missed her. Kako fired her MB at Alchiba and hit her 4 times. Alchiba suffered a bridge hit, a minor cargo fire, a hull hit and a damaged bulkhead. Tenryu fired at Fomalhaut and missed. Yubari fired at Betelgeuse and missed. Asanagi fired at Alhena and missed.
American Legion put her major fire out. Alhena failed to fix her bulkheads and sank. Bellatrix fixed a bulkhead but the other caused more hull damage. Australia failed to repair and her fire and bulkhead gave her two more hull damage. President Adams put out a fire but the other gave her minor hull damage. Libra failed to repair and her two minor fires caused her another hull hit. Alchiba failed to repair and her bulkhead and minor fire gave hull and minor hull damage. Selfridge repaired her engine. Chokai failed to repair and received minor damage from her fire and continued to circle to port (as did Australia).
Mikawa could see that the Allied Forces were converging on him. He needed to get out, but first things first.
Mikawa was now in position to fire his port side TT at the anchorage and did so. Aoba targeted Alchiba and hit her twice. Alchiba sank. Furutaka targeted Fomalhaut and hit her once. Fomalhaut sank. Kako targeted Betelgeuse and hit her once. Betelgeuse took three hull and exploded from a critical. Tenryu targeted Alhena and hit her twice. Alhena sank. Yubari targeted President Hayes and hit her once. American Legion took three hull and sank. Asanagi targeted President Adams and hit her once. President Adams suffered a bulkhead and a major cargo fire.
Mikawa wanted to fire everything at Australia in hopes of killing Crutchley and causing a morale failure to entire Allied cruiser force but that was too gamey and he divided his fire up between the anchorage, Australia and Selfridge and her accompanying cans. Chokai, Aoba and Kinugase targeted Australia with their MB, hitting her 6 times. Australia suffered her SL’s rubble being stirred, lost a secondary, and her last turret as well hull damage another engine hit knocking her DIW and the destruction of her rudder (long may she circle. Is that a drain?)
Australia fired back at Chokai and hit her 4 times. Chokai lost a TT, all of her SB and an engine hit that knocked her DIW. Aoba, Kinugasa and Furutaka fired rapidly at Selfridge, Mugford and Henley with their SB. Aoba hit Selfridge once damaging her hull. While Kinugasa hit Mugford once, damaging her DC and starting a minor fire. Furutaka missed. Selfridge, Mugford and Henley all fried rapidly at Aoba, Kinugasa and Furutaka and missed.
The remaining APs and AKs in the Laguna Anchorage were on fire now and their crew’s failed morale and abandoned ship. All would sink. Australia repaired her fire but took another hull from the bulkhead and sank taking Crtuchley with her. Chokai broke her rudder beyond repair.
The remainder of the IJN ships, now under RAdm Goto retired north under smoke. The Allied cruiser forces arrived shortly thereafter and sank Chokai.
The Allies checked morale over the loss of Australia and RAdm Crutchley and failed causing them to withdraw and they took the ships at Tulagi with them.
RAdm Goto also checked morale over the loss of the Chokai and Mikawa and failed, but he was already running for his life at 10 knots.
The Japanese lost 7 VP for Chokai and 2 ½ VP for Aoba being crippled for a total loss of 9 ½ VP.
The Allies lost Australia and Canberra, and Chicago was crippled for a total of 12 ½ VP.
But the loss of McCawley, Hunter Liggett, Fuller, American Legion, Barnett, Crescent City, President Admas, President Hayes, Bellatrix, Libra, Alchiba, Fomalhaut, Beteleguse & Alhena cost them 112 VP in addition.
The Japanese won a Major victory.
This is the first time the IJN has pressed into the Sound as far as an anchorage and lived to talk about it. Normally at some point a series of Allied die rolls allows them to get their ducks all headed for Mikawa’s force and if he does not manage to vacate before they arrive; he dies.
Why didn’t Goto sink the Chicago in passing? IMHO shooting and risking being acquired again when Aoba could only go 10 knots was not a good idea. Then Goto failed morale it became moot.
Why didn’t the Northern and Eastern Forces pursue? They had been ordered to Laguna Point by Crutchley and upon arrival that became their new patrol zone unless they either acquired a IJN ship(s) or received a new order. Scott might have been able to give such an order but he failed morale (with a 12!) and that became moot also.
The idea here was to put every possible shackle on the Allies in an effort to recreate their historical inability to react in a timely fashion without making it absolutely impossible. They had their chances but their inability to 1-5 on a D12 when it counted killed them. Different die roll results will change the out come as it has the other dozen times or so that I’ve run this.
I’ll post the scenario set up in TSC forum. This is really a Club or Con scenario as you can employ up to 3 IJN players and 5 Allied players. My advice if you employ that many players is to assign each of them a ship or ships in the other Allied forces besides the one, they command. That way you don’t have the bulk of your Allied players sitting on their hands waiting for Mikawa to appear when he may never. Nevertheless, if you employ more than three Allied players there is no guarantee that all of them will see action.
WMC
