Kantai Kessen
Early 1943
By early 1943 Admiral Yamamoto had come to the conclusion that campaign of attrition that Guadalcanal had turned into was not something that Japan could sustain. In addition, the IJN had tried to bring about a decisive carrier battle numerous times in the past year and regardless of any tactical victories had found itself further and further behind as far aircrews went and he saw no way to reverse that.
What he had seen was that the US was willing to commit its fast battleships in the enclosed waters of Iron Bottom Sound. That discovery had cost him two Kongo class battleships. But he still had the Yamato and Nagato classes on hand at Truk. Perhaps, it was time to try for a decisive surface engagement while he still had the fuel and ships to try. In any case it was that or retreat from Guadalcanal. With that objective in mind, he sortied the Combined Fleet.
IJN Combined Fleet OOB: Admiral Yamamoto
Battleship Squadron 1: Vice Admiral Takasu
Yamato FF & Musashi (Yamato class), Nagato SF & Mutsu (Nagato class)
Cruiser Squadron 4: Vice Admiral Kondo
Atago SF, Maya & Takao (Takao class)
Cruiser Squadron 5: Vice Admiral Takagi
Haguro SF & Myoko (Myoko class)
Cruiser Squadron 9: Rear Admiral Kishi
Kitakami SF & Oi (Kuma class)
DesFlot 4: Rear Admiral Takama
Yura F Ldr (Nagara class)
Destroyer Division 2
Harusame, Murasame, Samidare & Yudachi (Shiratsuyu class)
Destroyer Division 9
Asagumo, Minegumo & Nastsugumo (Asashio class)
Destroyer Division 27
Ariake (Hatsuharu class), Shigure & Shiratsuyu (Shiratsuyu class)
Destroyer Division 7 (attached)
Akebono, Sazanami & Ushio (Fubuki class)
Allied OOB: Vice Admiral Lee
Battleship Division
Washington & North Carolina (North Carolina class)
South Dakota & Indiana (South Dakota class)
Cruiser Division 1: Rear Admiral Wright
New Orleans, San Fransico & Minneapolis (New Orleans class)
Cruiser Division 2: Rear Admiral Ainsworth
Boise, Phoenix & Honolulu (Brooklyn class)
DesRon 1
Phelps (Porter class), Farragut, Dewey, Hull, MacDonough, Dale, Monaghan & Aylwin (Farragut class) & Wilson (Benham class)
DesRon 4
Selfridge (Porter class), Bagley, Helm, Mugford, Ralph Talbot, Henley & Patterson (Bagley class), Gridley & Craven (Gridley class)
Weather
Wind: Force 2 Southerly at 4 knots Squalls: 4 visibility reduced 5,000 yards in or out Sea Haze: Yes visibility reduced 6,000 yards to East Sky: Overcast w/3 layers
Moon State: New Max Visibility: Varies per ship acquisition
Set Up
IJN Heading: S Speed: 20 knots USN Heading: NE Speed: 20 knots
Time: 0400 hours There are 13 turns of darkness.
Visibility to West at dawn is reduced 3,000 yards for the first 2 turns of daylight
Max Daylight Visibility: 19,000 yards
IJN Morale: w/Yamamoto is Veteran. If Yamamoto is lost reduce to Regular. If no admiral reduces to Green.
USN Morale: w/Lee is Regular. Without nan admiral reduces to Green.
Yamamoto arrayed his fleet in a series of squadron/division columns.
Yura (RAdm Takama) led with DesDiv 2 in line abreast (from port). This was followed by the cruiser squadrons in three divisional columns (from port to starboard; 4, 5 & 9)
Then came the battle squadron flanked on either side by DesDivs 7 & 9 (p&s). Then came DesDiv 27 in a column. There was 3,000 yards separation between each group.
VAdm Lee had his Task Force arrayed in divisional columns also. DesRon 1 led with its DesDivs arrayed side by side behind Phelps. Then came the cruiser divisions side by in column. Then came the battle division with DesRon 4 split into divisional columns to either flank. There was 3,000 yards separation between each element.
0400 hours Phelps SG radar made contact (with Yura) through a gap between two squalls at 20,000 yards. Lee ordered an increase to 27 knots, DesRon 1, Cruiser Divs 2 & 1 were to form line ahead, while DesRon 4 was to form line ahead behind the bats. The TF would continue NE.
0415 hours Lee’s TF had formed line ahead. By now Phelps and DesRon 1 had a series of radar contacts that basically showed the formation of the Japanese van (Yura, DesDiv 2, the cruiser columns, Bats & DesDiv 7 (although they didn’t know their IDs). Lee ordered DesRon 1 to fire star shell and illuminate as much of the IJN formation as it could. DesRon 1 fired 16 star shell at the IJN formation with 2 star shell targeted at each ship formation except for the bats which received 4. Nine proved to be duds but each group had at least one star shell illuminate its lead ship.
0418 hours DesRon 1 turned away together to starboard under smoke to break contact. The IJN accelerated to 25 knots.
Boise fired rapidly (illuminated & unengaged) at Yura and hit her 5 times. Yura took two hits to her FP facilities that started two major fires, she lost a fore gun, suffered hull damage and damage to a bulkhead that slowed her to 21 knots. Yura was illuminated by an EDR fire. Phoenix fired rapidly (same modifiers) at Harusame and hit her 4 times, knocking out her fore TT, setting a major fire, knocking out her fore gun mount, damaging her hull and hitting her engine that limited her to 22 knots. Harusame was illuminated by a EDR fire. Honolulu fired rapidly at Akebono hitting her 10 times, damaging her DC twice, setting two minor fires, knocking all her guns, a magazine hit, damaging her hull twice and her engines that slowed her to 22 knots. Akebono was illuminated by 3 EDR fires.
New Orleans fired at Kitakami and hit her once, knocking out her fore gun. San Fransico fired at Atago and hit her 3 times, knocking out two fore turrets and damaging a bulkhead. Atago was illuminated by an EDR fire. Minneapolis fired at Haguro and missed.
Washington fired at Yamato and hit her once, damaging her hull and slowing her to 24 knots. . North Carolina fired at Musashi and hit her thrice, knocking out a TB and SL, her fore turret and damaging her hull. Musashi was illuminated by an EDR fire.
South Dakota, Indiana and DesRon 4 all held fire.
Akebono made her morale.
0421 hours Yura put out a fire, but the remaining major fire and bulkhead caused two more hull and Yura slowed to 5 knots. Yura remained illuminated. Harusame failed to repair and her fire caused hull damage. Harusame remained illuminated, Akebono repaired her engine but took further hull damage from her two minor fires that limited her to 22 knots. Akebono remained illuminated. Atago repaired her bulkhead and remained illuminated. Mushasi failed repair her EDR fire and remained illuminated.
DesRon 1 turned together to port and closed within 12,000 yards before turning together to starboard, heading North. Cruiser Divisions 2 and 1 turned together to starboard and broke contact under smoke. The Bat division turned to starboard in succession with Washington and North Carolina covering themselves in funnel smoke to break contact while leaving South Dakota and Indiana clear to fire. DesRon 4 followed the Bat Division still holding its fire.
The Japanese that could, accelerated and Yamamoto ordered DesDiv 27 to cross behind the Bat Sqdn and take station 3,000 yards off the Sqdns’ port quarter. Yamamoto ordered the cruiser sqdns to form line ahead of the Bat Sqdn. Yamaoto ordered ordered any ship that had acquired an enemy to illuminate with starshell.
South Dakota fired at Musashi (illuminated & unengaged) inside 12,000 yards and hit her once, damaging her FP facilities and setting a major fire. Indiana fired at Yamato from inside 12,000 yards (unengaged & + FCR) and hit her once, damaging her FP facilities and setting a major fire.
DesRon 4 fired star shell (16) targeting the cruiser sqdns, bat sqdn and the DesDivs. Cru Sqdn 4 had Maya and Takao illuminated. Cru Sqdn 5 had Haguro and Myoko illuminated. Cru Sqdn 9 had Oi illuminated (1 dud). Bat Sqdn was not illuminated (both duds). DesDiv 2 had Samidare illuminated (1 dud). DesDiv 9 had Asagumo illuminated (1 dud). DesDiv 7 had Sazanami and Ushio illuminated. DesDiv 27 had Araike illuminated (1 dud).
0424 hours. Yura failed to repair and sunk taking RAdm Takama with her. Harusame failed to repair and her fire caused hull damage that limited her to 15 knots and she remained EDR illuminated. Akebono repaired a fire but took minor hull damage from her remaining minor fire and she remained illuminated by 3 EDR fires. Atago put her fire out and was no longer illuminated. Musashi failed to repair and remained EDR illuminated. Yamato failed put her fire out and took hull damage that slowed her to
Yamamoto in an effort to break up the now obvious Allied tactic ordered all TT that could bear to fire at any acquired target. The cruisers were still shuffling into line, but the DesDivs 2, 7 and 9 complied immediately using South Dakota, Indiana and DesRon 4 as their targets.
South Dakota and Indiana followed Washington/North Carolina round under smoke to break contact while Washington now turned North and left the smoke to give her and North Carolina an arc of fire.
Cruiser Divisions 2 & 1 turned together to the North and stopped smoking to clear their arcs of fire.
DesRon 4 turned away together to starboard under smoke to break contact.
Cruiser Division 2 now split its fire at DesDivs 2, 7 and 9. Boise (unengaged & illuminated) fired rapidly at Sazanami and hit her 12 times. Sazanami suffered a magazine hit and flooded but that along with 2 other hits knocked out all her guns, she lost 2 TT, 6 hull hits and a bulkhead damaged that sank her outright. Phoenix fired rapidly (same mods) at Samidare and hit her 12 times. Samidare suffered a bridge hit, damage to her DC that set a minor fire, a magazine hit she flooded, all her guns knocked out, two hull and two bulkheads that slowed her to 15 knots and gave her 4 EDR fires, illuminating her. Honolulu fired rapidly (same mods) at Asagumo and hit her 7 times. Asagumo lost all her TT, had a major fire set, took two hull and two bulkheads that slowed her to 16 knots and gave her 2 EDR fires illuminating her.
Cruiser Division 1 split its fire between cruiser sqdns 4, 5 & 9. New Orleans fired at Haguro (illuminated & unengaged) and hit her 7 times. Haguro suffered a critical hit to her engines, her FP facilities were damaged setting a major fire, she lost 4 turrets and a damaged bulkhead that slowed her to 21 knots, 2 EDR fires and illuminated her. San Fransico fired (same mods) at Maya and hit her 8 times. Maya suffered damage to her FP facilities a major fire set, lost her SL and both port TT and a major fire set, two fore turrets, two bulkheads and a hit to her engines that slowed her to 21 knots and gave her 2 EDR fires illuminating her. Minneapolis fired (same mods) at Oi and hit 3 times. Oi lost a fore gun, a hit to her engines and damage to a bulkhead that slowed her to 21 knots, gave her an EDR fire illuminating her.
Selfridge fired rapidly (unengaged & illuminated) at Ushio and hit her 3 times. Ushio took a critical hit to her FC, lost a fore gun mount and hull damage that slowed her to 31 knots and gave her an EDR fire illuminating her.
Washington & North Carolina fired (unengaged, illuminated & multiple batteries) at Musashi and hit her twice. Musashi suffered damage to her FP facilities, a major fire and lost a fore turret.
DesRon 1 fired star shell (16) targeting, well everyone. CruDiv 4 was not illuminated (both duds). CruDiv 5 had Myoko illuminated (1 dud). CruDiv 4 had Takao illuminated (1 dud). CruDiv 9 had Kitakami & Oi illuminated. BatSqdn had Yamato & Musashi illuminated
Sazanami and Samidare made their morale.
0427 hours Harusame put her fire out but she remained EDR illuminated. Akebono put her fire out but remained illuminated with 3 EDR fires. Samidare failed to repair and her damaged bulkheads caused two more hull as well as minor hull damage from her fire that sunk her. Asagumo failed to repair and her major fire and 2 bulkheads gave her 3 more hull that sank her. Haguro failed to repair and her bulkhead and fire damaged 2 more hull and she remained illuminated by 2 EDR fires. Maya failed to repair and her 2 bulkheads and 2 major fires damaged her hull 4 more times, slowing her to 10 knots and she remained illuminated by 2 EDR fires. Oi repaired her bulkhead but remained illuminated by an EDR fire. Ushio failed to repair and remained illuminated by an EDR fire. Musashi failed to repair and her 2 fires caused hull damage that slowed her to 22 knots. Musashi remained illuminated by an EDR fire.
The IJN cruiser divisions and DesDiv 27 fired their bearing TT at Washington and North Carolina.
DesRon 1 turned together 90 degrees to starboard under smoke to break contact. Cruiser Divisions 2 & 1 also turned together 90 degrees to starboard to break contact. Washington turned 90 degrees to starboard under smoke, followed by North Dakota while South Dakota and Indiana had their arcs clear. DesRon 4 turned together to the North and quit smoking (their doctor’s recommended it).
The IJN cruisers and DesDivs turned away to starboard under smoke to get reorganized and give their torps a chance to redress the balance.
South Dakota fired (same mods) at Musashi and hit her 5 times. Musashi lost 2 PS SB, 2 hull and a critical hit to her engines that slowed her to 14 knots and added another EDR giving 2 EDR fires that illuminated her. Indiana fired (same mods + RFC) at Yamato and whiffed completely.
Yamamoto made his morale for the lost ships.
0430 hours Harusame put out her EDR fire. Akebono put out an EDR fire but had 2 remaining. Haguro failed to repair and her 2 bulkheads and 2 major fires caused hull damage that sank her taking VAdm Takagi with her. Maya failed to repair and her 2 bulkheads and 2 major fires damaged her hull enough to sink her. Oi failed to repair her engines and remained illuminated by an EDR fire. Ushio failed to repair her EDR fire and remained illuminated. Musashi put out 1 fire and the other damaged her hull slowing her to 11 knots and she remained illuminated by her EDR fire.
VAdm Lee ordered the TF to move East under smoke and being a good union man had them take a 10-minute break before getting back to work (he suspected torpedoes and wanted distance from them). Yamamoto decided to withdraw North under smoke.
Yamamoto and Kondo both made their morale over their ship losses.
0433 hours Akebono failed to put out an EDR fire. Oi broke her engine beyond repair and remained EDR illuminated. Musashi failed to repair and took another hull from her fire that slowed her to 8 knots.
Lee from radar realized that the Japanese were headed North and figured they were withdrawing but wanted any danger from torpedoes to pass and continued East.
0436 hours Musashi failed to repair and slowed to 4 knots.
Lee turned NE to exit the Sound to the East of Savo and began reshuffling his formation to put the Bats in the lead followed by Cruiser Divisions 1 and 2 and then DesRons 1 and 4 in preparation for a daylight engagement with anything he could catch.
0439 hours Musashi put her fire out.
0442 hours Dawn broke.
Lee would advance and sink Musashi, Oi and Harusame, who were all too slow to escape.
This why I don’t play any scenarios beyond mid-43. I set this in early 43. Everyone has FCR but only Indiana had +FCR. By mid-43 almost every major unit has it. Everyone but the Bagleys and Gridleys had + SWR and they had – SWR. The Japanese did not roll good enough to ever see beyond 6,000 yards without illumination or the firing modifier. While even the Bagleys had the IJN on radar out to 30,000 yards at start. Re-rolls never dropped any USN ship below 20,000 yards. So, Lee (per RAW) had a perfect picture of the IJN disposition except for DesDiv 27 before it came out from behind the IJN Bats. That (per the RAW) allowed the USN to maneuver into the range they wanted, have their DDs (except for the Porters) fire star shell so that the unengaged cruisers and Bat could fire at illuminated targets at a range that was optimal for hitting. Then you just turn away under smoke and there is no target for IJN gunnery. They can fire torpedoes. But they are firing at where you were and in the third range band (over 9,600 yards).
Is that level of coordination historical? I doubt it and there should probably be some kind of die roll that either allows or disallows it every time you try it. It could have been worse as I applied my house rule on star shell and that kept Yamato unengaged with South Dakota and Indiana forced to both engage Musashi where South Dakota missed all together because of the multiple batteries’ modifier.
As for torpedoes. The USN stays outside 9,600 yards (and thus in the third range band). They keep track of IJN movement and note when they can fire torpedoes. On the third turn after they can fire torpedoes turn your sterns towards where they would have fired torpedoes from and cover yourself with smoke to protect from end on fire. In the third range a stern shot has a two down shift and that drops the torps off the bottom of the CRT and is an auto miss (per the RAW).
Note: I added the 9th Cruiser Squadron (Kitakami & Oi) in their torpedo cruiser guise to see what would happen. IMHO its too late. If they had been stationed at Rabaul in August when the Allied radar advantage was much less, then maybe. After that its pointless IMHO.
WMC
