August 22 Carrier strikes and results

Turn 15 day (August 18)

The Japanese destroyer transports are ordered back and join the larger transport force which continues towards the islands

skip time

Turn 19 day August 22

The main Japanese force enters the area to clear the way for the transports

4 is the advance/ support force

5 is the striking (carrier) force

6 is the Vanguard force

7 is the diversionary force

US numbers are1 for Air Support Force (Saratoga), 2 for Task Unit from old TF 16 (enterprise), 3 for Task Unit under Rear Adm. Noyes (wasp)

The weather is windy

Scout planes from both sides spot almost all the main ship groups, except the Japanese diversionary group. All ships launch attack groups

Shokaku attack force 15 fighters 9 torpedo bombers, 14 dive bombers (target US 1 (Saratoga))

Zuikaku attack force 15 fighters 27 dive bombers (US 2 (Enterprise))

Ryujo attack force 12 fighters 21 torpedo bombers (US 3 (Wasp))

The US forces all target the stiking carrier force

Saratoga attack force 15 fighters 18 dive bombers 9 avengers

Enterprise attack force 15 fighters, 18 div bombers 9 avengers

Wasp attack force 15 fighters, 18 dive mobers, 6 avengers

The Zuikaku force cant find Enterprise and so moves to attack the Saratoga force

cap for Shokaku attack on Saratoga 15 wild cats

cap for ryujyo on wasp 12 wild cats

cap for combined attack on japanese carriers 24 zeros

Battle 1 The American attack on the carriers

I will split this battle into 6 parts because of its size.

Part 1

8 wild cats, 9 bombers, 6 torpedo bombers vs 6 zeros. 1 junior ace on each size.

This battle was dominated by poor dice rolling.

At first the forces moved towards each other and some good cards saw a zero squadron get behind the bomber formation and fire. This caused 1 bomber to explode causing 5 torpedo bombers and 2 dive bombers and 1 zero to loose control. (only the dive bombers and 1 torpedo bomber would regain control over 4 turns!)

Other than this 1 zero was shot down and some damage done to other but the number of times a huge amount of fire produced no result was crazy.

In the end 1 zero was shot down, 1 crashed, 1 damaged,

The US lost 5 torpedo bombers and 1 damaged fighter,

9 dive bombers reach the fleet

Part 2

6 wild cats 9 bombers, 3 torpedo bombers vs 3 zeros

At first the US pilots fail badly, many missing and jamming there guns. This allows the the Zeros to inflict some damage on the first pass. After this as the zeros turn to chase the bombers the US fighters can get behind and shoot 2 down. More bombers are lost or damaged. In the end 2 wild cats and 1 of each kind of bomber are shot down with another bomber damaged and forced back to base

7 dauntless and 2 avengers reach fleet

2 wild cats, 2 bombers and 2 zeros are lost

both pilots who bailed are rescued.

Part 3

9 wild cats, 9 bombers, 6 torpedo bombers vs 6 zeros

The US starts badly again and 2 fighters are shot down on the first pass, 3 zeros chase the bombers while 3 engage the cap, both fail to achieve much as the bombers manoeuvrer well

7 dauntless and 5 avengers reach the fleet

2 dauntless, 1 torpedo bomber, 2 wild cats and 3 zeros are lost

Part 4

6 wild cats, 9 dive bomber and 6 torpedo bombers vs 3 zeros.

Its starts well for the zros as they claim 2 bombers but soon 2 are shot down by lucky long range fire and the last one breaks off. 1 ace is forced to bail and is lost at sea

Part 5

9 fighters, 9 dive bombers 3 torp vs 3 zeros

The zeros aproach close to the bombers and fire from the bombers damages all 3, the rookie looses control and crashes, the bombers are safe

part 6

the small fighter escort for bombers and 2 aces on the Japanese side seem to show a more even fight, but turret fire from the bombers forces 2 zero off with damage. The last ace shoots down 2 before he is out of ammo.

After all the battles most of the bombers have made it through, casualties between the US and Japanese are about even.

The strike

The many US bombers approach the carrier group, most are able to target the carriers with a few going after destroyers.

The first waves of dive bombers drop a large number of bombs scoring 2 hits on both carriers. IJN Zuikaku takes a penetrating hit which destroys is forward hanger and another damages its forward flight deck. Shortly after aviation fuel ignites and the stricken carrier is destroyed by a raging fire. Vice admiral Chunichi Nagumo does not escape his flag ship.

The Shokaku has both its flight decks badly damaged and its hull is also battered. However the crew fight the fires and are able to save the ship. They should be able to recover some of the aircraft currently in the air if they work hard to repair the decks.

One destroyer, the Kazegumo takes a bomb hit which damages its hull and knocks out 2 of its 3 gun turrets.

Then the torpedoes dropped by the torpedo bombers arrive, but once again American torpedoes fail and only 1 hits. It strikes the Makigumo, another destroyer. It suffers hull damage and the magazine ignites, the crew fail to stop it and the ship is destroyed in a fireball.

The cost to the US is 12 lost bombers, 9 damaged and 26 ok.

Dive bombers are 4 lost and 5 damaged from 19

The bomber wings from Zuikaku and Shokaku reach the Saratoga one after another. The CAP are largly rookies and are overcome easily by the veteran pilots of the Japanese carriers. The heavy AA is another matter

Shokaku looses 7 dive bombers and 1 torpedo bomber with1 damaged out of 15 and 12

These do heavy damage to a cruiser and sink a destroyer but only hit one flight deck on the Saratoga.

Following up, the many dive bombers from Zuikaku arrive. The suffer even worse from the AA loosing 7 dead and 6 damaged from 27. The survivors do more damage to the cruiser and hit the Saratoga 3 times doing severe hull damage and starting a hanger fire. The massive hull damage is too much and fire consumes the ship. Vice admiral Noyes does not make it off his flagship.

The strike on the Wasp by the Ryujyo's torpedo bombers leads to the loss of 8 shot down and 4 damaged. 1 torpedo strikes the carrier, knocking out its engineering and doing massive hull damage. Another torpedo strikes the Salt Lake City which also takes significant hull damage and the loss of its forward guns.

The final results are the loss of 1 carrier a side, and the crippling of another on both sides. This leaves 1 carrier each with an active wing remaining.

I am also now quite bored of this campaign, the many repetitive air battles got old fast. I may do one final naval battle if the Japanese surface force can catch any of the US forces. It looks like the campaign will result in a draw.