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[W. Clark]

Anglo-Dutch Fighting at Night

First, I rerolled the weather thrice as I kept rolling for a full gale or storm which would have aborted the invasion convoy and ended the campaign in a very unsatisfactory way. This is my eleventh go round with this campaign, and I’ve never had that happen before.

 

0400 hours. The wind was a Force 3 Northerly at 10 knots. There are 12 turns of darkness before dawn. The moon state was new regardless of the overcast sky. There was no sea haze but there were 3 squalls scattered about that reduced visibility into or through them by 4,000 yards. Visibility to the East would be reduced by 2,000 yards at dawn improving by 1,000 yards every 6 minutes until full visibility of 30,000 yards is achieved.

 

Force Z under RAdm Palliser (RN) was steaming at 25 knots on a heading of due North into the Java Sea from Surabaya. The Japanese had landed 2 divisions near Batavia and the entire KNIL was tied up trying to stop them. If the Japanese successfully landed troops at Surabaya, it would be over. This then was the last throw of the die for the ABDA Flot and VAdm Helfrich had commanded that the ABDDA Flot defend Surabaya to the last man and ship.

 

Palliser flew his flag in Danae and had his 6 light cruisers deployed in two divisions of 3 cruisers each with 1 Brit and 1 Dutch. He also had 11 destroyers in three divisions with 7 Dutch and 4 old RN destroyers. Palliser knew from Glassford and Collins that the Japanese heavy cruisers had pretty much been eliminated but there still 16 destroyers that totally out classed his destroyers. Palliser longed for daylight where his 6-inch could stand off and pound the destroyers, but day was yet to come.

 

Palliser led with the old S&T class DDs as he felt that their experience crews gave him the best chance of his DDs to see the enemy first and their loss was not going to cost him much of his fighting power. Force Z was thus deployed with the RN DesDiv leading the cruiser column (first the Brits then the Dutch) by 3,000 yards. The RNN DesDivs were deployed to either side of the cruiser column at 3,000 yards with the 1^st DesGrp to port and the 2^nd DesGrp to starboard.

The RN DesDiv could see 12,000 yards (I rolled a 1), the RN cruisers 8,000 yards, the RNN cruisers 8,000 yards, DesGrp 1 2,000 yards and DesGrp 2 6,000 yards.

 

The Japanese were steaming at 11 knots on a heading of 90 degrees and bearing 8 points to port. The Japanese were deployed with the 4^th (could see 12,000 yards), 8^th (could see 6,000 yards) and the 9^th (could see 2,000 yards) DesDivs abreast of one another in divisional columns. The 16^th DesDiv was 3,000 yards back and centered with the APs behind it in three columns of 4 ships each and 3,000 yards between columns. The 8^th and 16^th had no torps.

 

The closing rate due to the approach angle was about 2,000 yards every three minutes. This caused the Arashi (4^th DesDiv) to acquire the trailing Dutch DD (Van Nes) of the port column at 0412 hours.

 

0415 hours. The Japanese DDs accelerated to 21 knots and turned 45 degrees to port onto a heading of 45 degrees. The convoy continued at 11 knots turning 45 degrees to starboard onto a heading of 135 degrees with 16^th DesDiv leading.

 

0418 hours. Two of the squalls were ahead of Force Z off its port bow and the third was behind off its starboard quarter. The Japanese DDs accelerated to 31 knots and began to overtake the RNN DesGrp 1 unbeknownst to it.

 

0421 hours. The 8^th DesDiv opened on the RNN DesGrp 1 at 6,000 yards firing unengaged. Oshio fired at Evertsen and hit her twice. Arashio fired at Van Ghent and hit her once. Asashio fired at Van Nes and hit her thrice. Evertsen took a hit in her DC racks that started a minor fire and a critical hit to a magazine that lost her fore gun due to flooding. Van Ghent took a hit to her DC racks that started a minor fire. Van Nes lost her fore TT and suffered damage to her hull and a bulkhead that restricted her to 23 knots and gave her an EDR fire.

 

0424 hours. The range continued to close to under 4,000 yards. Evertsen put her fire out. Van Ghent failed to put her fire out and took minor hull damage and was illuminated. Van Nes fixed her bulkhead but remained illuminated by her EDR fire. Force Z accelerated and the cruisers as well as the RN DDs and DesGrp 1 acquired the IJN DDs that had fired. Palliser had DesGrp1 to close to attack with torpedoes while the Dutch cruisers opened on the three acquired IJN DDs.

Oshio fired at Evertsen and missed. Arashio fired at the illuminated Van Ghent and hit her. Asashio fired at the illuminated Van Nes and hit her twice. De Ruyter fired at Oshio and hit her twice. Java fired at Arashio and missed. Tromp fired at Asashio and missed.

Evertsen lost a gun. Van Ghent lost a gun. Van Nes lost all her TT. Oshio lost a gun mount and took hull damage. DesGrp 1 fired star shell at DesDiv 8 and illuminated Oshio, Arashio and Asashio.

 

0427 hours. Van Ghent failed to put her fire out, took hull damage and remained illuminated. Van Nes put her fire out. DesGrp 1 fired off all remaining TT at the acquired IJN DDs. Arashi, Hagikaze and Maikaze (4^th DesDiv) fired all their TT (2 quads each) at DeRuyter, Java and Tromp respectively.

Oshio failed to evade Evertsen’s torpedoes and was hit twice. The remainding Dutch torpedoes missed. Oshio sank.

Michishio fired at Evertsen and missed.  Arashio fired at Van Ghent and missed her. Asashio fired at Van Ners and missed. DeRuyter fired at the illuminated Arashio and hit her 14 times. Java fired at the illuminated Asashio and hit her 5 times.

Arashio took a hit to her DC racks that started a minor fire. Arashio lost both her TT and had 2 major fires. Arashio lost a gun mount. Arashio took 3 hull hits. Arashio took 3 engineering hits that permanently damaged an engine and knocked her DIW. Arashio took 4 critical hits that damaged her other engine permanently damaged her remaining engine (she requires a tow), hit her magazines twice and the resulting flooding knocked out the last of her guns. And just make towing difficult jammed her rudder to starboard.

Asashio lost a TT with a major fire, lost a gun mount, took 2 ghull hits and damage to her engineering that slowed her to 23 knots.

The 8^th DesDiv failed morale and began withdrawing. The convoy commander checked and passed morale (a very loud whew was heard across the Java Sea). Van Nes failed morale and tried to withdraw. DesGrp 1 passed their morale.

 

0430 hours. Palliser remained ignorant of the presence of the other IJN DesDivs and liked the way the gun fight was going and continued on course. Then the Japanese torpedoes arrived. DeRuyter failed to evade and was hit twice. Java failed to evade and was hit 4 times. Tromp failed to evade and probably never saw the 8 torps that missed her. DeRuyter took 10 hull and could not sink fast enough.  Java took 12 hull and sank; there was a critical hit also but so what.

Tromp fired at Michishio and hit her 5 times. Michishio hit Evertsen twice. Michishio lost 2 gun mounts, a TT and 2 hits to her hull. Evertsen took a hull hit and an engineering hit.

DesGrp 1 continued to illuminate DesDiv 8.

The Dutch cruiser division failed morale and Tromp began withdrawing. Palliser made morale.

 

0433 hours. Palliser ordered DesGrp 2 to his port flank to engage any IJN DDs it found. Palliser ordered the RN DesDiv to try and get around the Japanese to find the convoy not realizing that he was sending them in the wrong direction. Nowake fired off both her TT at Tromp. Tromp fired at Michishio and hit her 6 times as a parting gift. Michishio hit Evertsen once. Michishio took 2 hits to her DC racks that started 2 minor fires 2 hits to her TT that started 2 major fires as well as hull damage and an engineering hit.

Evertsen took an engineering hit.

 

0436 hours. DesGrp 2 passed Tromp astern and ran into Nowake’s torps. Kortenaer probably never saw the torps that passed her by while chasing Tromp. The 9^th DesDiv turned away under smoke to avoid the RN DDs.

DesDiv 4 now engaged DesGrp 2. Arashi fired at Banckert and hit her once. Hagikaze fired at Kortenaer and missed. Maikaze fired at Piet Hein and missed. Nowake fired at Witte de With and missed. Banckert lost a TT.

 

0439 hours. Dawn. Palliser had his DDs retire under smoke while he planned to shoot up any Japanese destroyers in sight with his cruisers. Danae fired unengaged at Arashi at around 10,000 yards and hit her twice. Dragon fired unengaged at Hagikaze and hit her 4 times. Durban fired unengaged at Maikaze and hit her. Arashi lost a gun mount and took hull damage. Hagikaze took 2 hull hits, a damaged bulkhead and a critical hit to a magazine. Hagikaze failed to flood and exploded.

 

0445 hours. The Japanese destroyers turned away under smoke to protect themselves while they regrouped. RN spotter a/c reported the convoy to the SE.

 

0451 hours. Hagikaze failed Hagikaze to repair her bulkhead and took further hull damage. Palliser reversed course to the South to go after the convoy at 29 knots (max speed for his cruisers). The Japanese DDs turned onto a parallel with the 9^th DesDiv sheltering behind smoke being laid down by the remnants of the 4^th and 8^th DesDivs at 35 knots.

Danae fired unengaged at Hagikaze and hit her thrice. Hagikaze took another hull hit and another bulkhead and a critical hit to rudder that forced her to circle to port.

 

0457 hours. Hagikaze failed to repair either bulkhead and took further hull damage. Both sides continued with the DDs over taking the cruisers. Danae, Dragon and Durban fired unengaged at Hagikaze and all missed her.

 

0503 hours. Hagikaze repaired 1 bulkhead but took further damage and slowed to 19 knots.

 

0509 hours. Hagikaze failed to repair her bulkhead and took further hull damage. The D class cruisers all fired at her again and hit her 9 times. Hagikaze lost all her guns and TT with major fire, damage to a bulkhead, 2 engineering hits that knocked DIW. Hagikaze sank.

4^th DesDiv checked morale and passed.

 

0515 hours. The D class cruisers all fired at Maikaze (now leading 4^th DesDiv) and hit her 8 times. Maikaze lost her TT with a major fire, a gun mount, 2 hull hits and 3 engineering hits that knocked her DIW and permanently damaged 1 engine.

 

0521 hours. Maikaze failed to put her fire out and suffered further hull damage. The D class cruisers not fired at Nowake (the new lead) and hit her 8 times. Nowake took a hit to her DC racks that started a minor fire, lost all her TT including a major fire, a gun mount, 2 hull hits and 2 engineering hits that knocked her DIW.

 

0527 hours. Maikaze put her fire out as did Nowake. But both were now exposed in the open. The 9^th DesDiv turned away under smoke to preserve its torps from damage. Danae targeted Maikaze and missed. Dragon and Durban targeted Nowake and hit her 4 times. Nowake took 2 hits to her DC racks that started 2 minor fires, lost a gun and took a hull hit.

 

0533 hours. Maikaze repaired an engine hit. Nowake put out 1 fire and took minor hull damage from the other. Danae hit Maikaze once. Dragon and Durban hit Nowake 4 times. Maikaze lost her last gun. Nowake lost all her guns and a bulkhead damaged and her FC knocked out. Both DDs made their morale.

 

0539 hours. Maikaze repaired her engine and Nowake repaired her bulkhead, but the minor fire caused more hull damage. Danae hit Maikaze again. Dragon and Durban hit Nowake 4 times. Maikaze’s hit was ineffective. Nowake took another hit to her DC racks and another minor fire as well as 2 hull hits.

 

0545 hours Nowake put a fire out. The cruisers missed.

 

0551 hours. Nowake failed to put her fire out and sank. 4^th DesDiv failed their morale. The convoy commander checked morale and failed. That aborted the convoy mission.

 

Force Z would fail to contact the invasion of Bali and Bali would fall.

 

WMC

 

[simanton]

Another nice action! I am enjoying this campaign!

[W. Clark]

This what happens once the Japanese CAs are gone. IMHO each side's real combat power resides in their cruisers; CAs for the IJN and any cruiser for the Allies. This why it is imperative IMHO for the Allies to "only" sortie full strength (6 cruisers) sweeps. Anything else is a piecemeal commitment IMHO and they are just asking to be beat in detail for doing it. Yes, the destroyers have torpedoes and yes, they can be powerful, but they are very hard to deliver in daylight and that is when most engagements are going to occur when a Watch Table roll of 1-9 on a D12 is going to get you mostly or an all-daylight fight. IMHO it's about gunfire with the IJN CA's on top and then the Allied cruisers.

 

WMC