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[W. Clark]

Defending the Malay Barrier

Game Turn 6

1-15 March 1942

Theater Events: The Japanese picked up an extra CD and Allied morale has gone up to veteran for this turn only.

Weather Forecast: +3

The EAF with entire WAF in support sorties:

CG in the Eastern Axis under RAdm Kakuta: Ryujo, Zuiho & 3 DD

Invasion convoy against Surabaya under VAdm Kondo: 4^th Sentai, 7^th Sentai, 4^th, 8^th, 9^th & 16^th DesDivs (16 DDs)

Invasion convoy against Dili under RAdm Tanaka: Jintsu & 15^th DesDiv (4 DDs)

Patrol in Eastern Axis under VAdm Ozawa: Chokai, Sendai, Naka, Kuma (CD reinforcement) & Yura, 2^nd, 21^st & 24^th DesDivs (12 DD)

 

Surabaya sorties 2 sweeps

Task Force 5 under RAdm Glassford: Brooklyns, Houston, Marblehead, Mauritius & Exeter. RN 1^st DesDiv (4 DDs), 57^th & 58^th DesDivs & 29^th DesFlot (8 Clemson class DDs).

Force Z under RAdm Palliser: 3 D class cruisers, 3 Dutch cruisers, RN DesDiv 2 (4 S&T class DDs), 1^st & 2^nd RNN DesGrps (7 DD).

 

Darwin sorties a sweep

Force X under VAdm Godroy: 3 FN CAs, 2 FN CLs, Perth, Aussie DesDiv (3 N class DDs) & FN DesDiv (4 DDs).

 

CG only contacts Force Z as overcast and contact rolls preclude the other two sweeps.

Both AGs randomly target Dragon, who fails to evade. Zuiho’s AG scores a torpedo hit and damages Dragon’s hull and starts a minor fire. Dragon immediately puts the fire out and is reduced to 25 knots.

 

LBA also finds and attacks Force Z with 14 flights of level bombers. There are two straddles that randomly target DDs. Both straddles miss.

 

LBA also finds and attacks Force X with 17 level bomber flights. There is 1 straddle that randomly targets Lamotte-Picquet and misses.

 

Task Force 5 contacts the patrol at 0800 hours. After lengthy fight the patrol withdraws.

Task Force 5 contacted the Surabaya invasion convoy at 1200 hours.

 TF% engaged for an hour and withdrew.

Force X contacted the Surabaya invasion convoy at 0800 hours the next day and they beat one another to death with all admirals present on both sides dying. But the Japanese made morale and Force X did not.

Palliser’s sweep contacts the Surabaya invasion convoy at 0400 hours. Palliser would lose 2 cruisers but managed to abort the convoy after the sun came up.

 

Force X failed to contact the Bali invasion due to Tanaka’s skill and Bali fell.

 

Surabaya was safe for the moment and the Japanese lost the campaign but there are more ships in their cupboard and Java’s fall is inevitable.

 

WMC