Action Off Kota Bharu-Singora
9 December 1941 0800 hours
It was a clear sky without a cloud in sight (finally, after rolling a full Gail thrice in a row) when the Admiral’s steward brought him his second cup of tea. The Flagship, HMS Prince of Wales as well as the rest of Force Z was still at General Quarters as the Force had just beaten off an extended Japanese LBA attack without damage except for flash burns to the paint. Phillips thanked his luck (I rolled 12 so many times that I changed dice after a while to no avail) and had decided to visit a casino upon returning to port.
Admiral Phillips was a bit nonplussed as he had not realized until now that the Japanese had the range to reach him from Cam-Rhan Bay; but 30 plus bombers overhead for over an hour had dispelled that fallacious belief. Force Z was enroute to Kota Bharu-Singora to contest the landings reported to be going on there. The state of the RAF had made no allowance for air cover and Force Z had sortied from Singapore with whatever had been available in port. Force Z in its depleted state consisted of PoW, Repluse and the destroyers, Electra, Express and Vampire. Not exactly “the kitchen sink” kind of sortie Phillips would have liked but at least the Royal Navy was showing up.
The wind was a Force 3 northerly at 10 knots and smoke was an option. Phillips availed himself of that by forming the battle division in a quarter line to starboard so Pow could shelter Repulse behind her smoke. The destroyers where in column following the Flag division and the whole shebang was cracking on at 25 knots.
The masthead reported enemy in sight, bearing 4 points to starboard, exactly the opposite of what Phillips expected. Maybe the casino visit was not such a brilliant idea after all. The range was 30,000 yards and Phillips ordered Repulse to his port quarter and began making smoke to cover her. Phillips ordered all the PoW and Repluse FPs launched for spotting and to reduce the chance of fire.
The masthead reported that there were at least 2 enemy capital ships present as well as several cruisers and too many destroyers to count in short span between sighting and reporting. Phillips ordered a 2 point turn to port to keep his arcs open and opened on the lead enemy ship of the Fuso class (it turned out to be the Fuso herself).
PoW missed but the Fuso landed 1 hit that caused slight damage to PoW hull.
The closing rate was almost 500 yards a minute. PoW fired again and hit Fuso twice, knocking out her fore turret and slowing her to 22 knots. Fuso hit the PoW again knocking out her fore starboard secondary.
PoW now missed. Fuso had ceased fired and Yamashiro opened instead and missed. The range was down to 19,000 yards PoW turned 2 points to port to slow down the closing.
PoW continued to fire at Fuso hitting her twice. Fuso lost her last fore turret and fore starboard secondary. Yamashiro hit PoW twice knocking out her FP facilities and a TB (The crew are still trying to find PoW TB). PoW would repair FP hit and avoid a fire.
The range was just under 18,000 yards and PoW shifted fire to the Yamashiro, hitting her twice. Yamashiro lost her fore starboard secondary and had her rudder jammed preventing her from turning. Yamashiro hit PoW once, bouncing off her fore turret.
PoW made another two-point turn to port that the Japanese bats were not able respond to (Yamashiro had broken her rudder repair and now needed a dockyard). PoW picked this point to miss altogether. Fuso and Yamashiro fired at PoW and missed also.
PoW used her speed and ability to turn advantage to keep the range over 15,000 yards. But that did not help her gunnery, and she missed. Fuso hit PoW once, but Yamashiro missed. Fuso hit PoW’s undiscovered TB.
PoW finally got her gunnery act together and hit Yamashiro 5 times. Yamashiro lost her fore starboard TB, her fore turret and had her speed reduced to 19 knots. Fuso hit PoW again, but Yamashiro missed. PoW suffered minor hull damage that slowed her to 25 knots.
PoW hit Yamashiro again, damaging her engines and slowing her to 16 knots. Fuso missed but Yamashiro hit PoW once, knocking out starboard secondary.
Yamashiro failed to repair her engine hit. PoW hit Yamashiro once, damaging her hull and slowing her to 11 knots. Fuso and Yamashiro missed.
Yamashiro fixed her engines getting back up to 16 knots. PoW hit Yamashiro again in the hull reducing her back to 11 knots. Fuso hit PoW twice but Yamashiro missed. PoW bounced Fuso’s hits to her fore turret twice.
PoW hit Yamashiro twice, damaging her hull and her engines (again) and slowing her to 7 knots. Fuso and Yamashiro missed. Yamashiro failed to repair her engine hit.
PoW hit Yamashiro twice again, knocking out her last fore turret and a starboard TB. Fuso missed but Yamashiro hit PoW twice, causing minor hull damage that slowed her to 19 knots.
PoW now shifted fire back to Fuso and hit her thrice, knocking out a midships turret, a starboard TB and a critical hit to her bridge. Fuso and Yamashiro each hit PoW once. But both hits bounced off her fore turret for the fourth and fifth time.
Yamashiro broke her engine while trying to repair. PoW missed. Fuso and Yamashiro hit PoW once each. PoW lost a port SB and suffered a sixth bounce off her fore turret.
PoW hit Fuso once, damaging her engine. Fuso missed but Yamashiro hit once, damaging PoW FP facilities.
PoW failed to repair and suffered minor hull damage from a fire. Fuso repaired her engine hit. PoW hit Fuso again, jamming her rudder to starboard. Fuso and Yamashiro each hit PoW once but got nothing but bounces for their efforts.
Fuso unjammed her rudder and PoW put her fire out. PoW got her obligatory hit on Fuso causing damage to her hull. Fuso and Yamashiro both missed.
PoW now hit Fuso 4 times, knocking out her last midships turret, hitting her FP facilities and damaging her hull twice. Fuso and Yamashiro both missed.
Fuso failed to put her fire out and suffered minor hull damage. PoW shifted fire back to Yamashiro and hit her once, damaging her hull and slowing her to 4 knots. Fuso and Yamashiro missed. Fuso now with drew behind smoke but Yamashiro was not able to turn. PoW missed as did Yamashiro. PoW hit Yamashiro again sinking her.
PoW now withdrew leaving RAdm Palliser in Repulse to continue the fight. But VAdm Kondo had had enough and withdrew hoping for the Nagatos for the next go round. Fortunately for the Japanese, RAdm Palliser was unable to find the landings (I rolled yet another 12) and the IJN got the best of the matter as the Singapore Index is at 1 and PoW has 4 ½ hull boxes to repair.
