A training mission- Midway

[joegrundman]

I propose that to help us become familiar with the Naval rules, we play out the Battle of Midway mission.

The game is played out entirely in one Japanese offensive turn, with a very limited (and historical) force selection, and the winner is the one who is in control of Midway at the end of the turn. But the scenario does show essentially all the main elements of a big fleet combat event.

I propose that for variety's sake, we switch roles, so the US team play the Japanese in this mission and the Japan team play the US.

It shouldn't take long and we should be able to run it without delaying the main game, since neither the US nor japan have very much to do at this time.

If you think this is a good idea, just post your agreement below :D

[CCIP]

Let's! I do need practice

[Raptor1]

I'm in as well

[JSLTIGER]

Absolutely.

[LobsterBoy]

Hmmmm.....

Like it takes serious arm twisting to simulate naval battles here :rotfl:

On the other hand I'll be confused because the ships are on the wrong colored counters...

I'll give it a go (depending on when the bulk of the battle is fought)

[joegrundman]

So this is not going to be very difficult, and we'll do it openly. I don't mind who is the leader of the Japan faction.

we hardly even need a map for this scenario, and certainly the position of Tokyo is irrelevant, so i won't include it, I'll just tell you the forces based there.

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/3824/midwaysetupcopydg2.jpg

[joegrundman]

As you can see, the main US forces are based at Pearl Harbor

They include

CA16 (that means eight CA2 light cruisers)
DD5 (that means five DD1 destroyers)

These are your light forces

and you have three CV3's, the Enterprise, Hornet and Yorktown.

These are fast carriers, and are heavy.

At Pearl there is a 2 AAF. These are Land Based Air, and cannot rebase to Midway except by sea convoy.

there are 9 Naval Air Squadrons, 3 for each carrier.

There is also a light force at Midway

1 AAF
1 NAS
1 Airbase
1 Replacement (fights as a strength 1 infantry unit)

The US player should decide which units are going in which Task Forces.

The limits are: minimum =10 factors, maximum = 25 factors, for each carrier factor in a TF, there must be 1 non-carrier factor. The US has a total of 30 naval factors.

If you wish you can have 1 big Task Force, and 1 small combat group of the remaining ships that is too small to be a TF. They can still participate, it just won't look so cool.

Submarines operate alone

Whoever takes control of the US team ( first come first served, i say, but please do not be from the western allies in the main game) send me your TF allocation by PM.

Research and intelligence

The US has 4 ASW results -4
one radar result +1
9 magic cards (+1 strategic or tactical, you choose before scenario starts or i make a 50/50 roll to decide)(strategic makes interception automatic for the US, tactical gives +1 to search or nationality DRM)

[joegrundman]

You see there is a small force at Wake

1 AAF
1 NAS
1 Airbase

and then there are the Tokyo based forces. They will stay off the map, it really isn't important, as the attack force is able to sail all the way to Midway in one turn.

12 elite NAS
2 NAS
4 CV3 , Akagi, Hiryu, Kaga, Soryu
1 CVL2, Zuiho
1 BB5, Yamato
2 BB4, Mutsu, Nagato
8 BB3, Haruna, Hiei, Kirishima, Kongo, Fuso, Hyuga, Ise, Yamashiro
CA16
DD12

1 Submarine

1 1n2 Special Naval Landing Force (marine)
1 1-2 infantry

Japan must assemble these into task forces (min 10 factors, max 25 factors, 1 non-carrier factor for each carrier factor).

However, all CV3s must be in 1 task force, and that task force must accompany the invasion force.

Please PM me your decisions.

Note

submarines operate independently
Do not include the ground units, however, to escort a ground unit on a seaborne invasion requires 2 DD factors for each ground factor. If japan intends to land both the marine and the infantry, 4 DDs will be needed.

Research and intelligence

Japan has 3 torpedo results (+3 for submarine attack), 8 magic cards

[joegrundman]

Conducting a Seaborne invasion

Each ground factor making a seaborne invasion requires 2 DD factors to carry the unit.

In order to plan your attack, you need to know the defensive strength of the land unit in Midway.

&

[joegrundman]

I suggest you don't try and understand everything, we'll learn by doing, and if after you've figured it out and want to redo the mission with some sense of knowing what you are doing, that's fine by me.

So just send me your TF lists and the Japan side should say which TF is patrolling, which TF is convoying sea invasion, and maybe you could describe the route you'll take and the hex you'll patrol in.

I haven't bothered with a warplanner file. Just open warplanner and select the midway mission. Giev it a simple name and then just communicate your decisions by PM

joe

[joegrundman]

A Japanese Task Force and a submarine unit patrol near Midway

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/4825/midwaytrapatrolmoveshb3.jpg

The US may attempt to intercept the TF while
a) en route to the Patrol zone
b) at the patrol zone
c) wait until later

The US may intercept with
a) Pearl Harbor based units
b) Midway based air
c) both

They submarine may not be intercepted in this situation.

If the US is victorious, the US TFs may decide to remain in the patrol hex on defensive patrol.


Edit: The US declines to intercept the patrolling forces

the Japanese patrolling force may conduct air attacks on land bases if it has any air units available

Japan may proceed with the sea invasion.

[joegrundman]

The Patrolling TF2 has launched air strikes on Midway!

2 NAS from TF2 launch a counter-air mission on the 1 NAS and 1 AAF on Midway

The 1 AAF converts to 3 AAS (army air squadrons) for the purpose of interacting with naval air, so the net attack is 2 squadrons against 4 squadrons.

The Air nationality DRM is the same. These squadrons are not Elite Japanese sqaudrons, so there is no other modifier. The relevant lines are the lines for 2 AAS (the japanese attack ) and for 4 AAS (the US defense)

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/8071/airtableto2.jpg

For the Japanese attack, I roll an 8! 1 US squadron is destroyed, 2 are inverted and are unusable for the rest of the scenario.
The US defense I roll a 10! Both Japanese NAS are eliminated.

There is one squadron left/ I randomly determine that the destiryed unt is the NAS. There is 1 AAS uninverted and still available for operations such as search, air cover or attack. EDIT: This is not correct.

The eliminated unit is taken from the biggest group, ie. the AAS. Then 1 NAS and another AAS are inverted.

Now the main Japanese Task Forces steam directly towards Midway to conduct an invasion

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/1497/midwayinvasioncopyvd0.jpg

The US player must now decide to intercept and by what path, and whether you wish to intercept in the invasion hex, or further back.

If the US has a Strategic or Wild Magic card, he may perform a US Pacific Magic interception (strategic card for other powers and in the atlantic only give one more die roll for interception).

US Magic interception is a powerful thing


C. MAGIC INTERCEPTIONS (U.S. Magic only): Immediately after Japan has announced its air and naval missions in the combat phase, the U.S. may play one or more strategic Magic cards in order to automatically intercept Japanese naval missions during that combat phase. Each Japanese strategic Magic card played in response negates one American strategic Magic card. For each American strategic Magic card which is not negated by the play of a Japanese strategic Magic card, one American TF may intercept a Japanese naval mission without the need for an interception dice roll, subject to the following:

* the interception hex and the base of the intercepting American TF must be on the Pacific front.

* the interception hex must be within three hexes of the target hex of the Japanese mission.

* the intercepting American TF must trace a path from an operational Western Allied port no more than ten hexes from the interception hex.

* the intercepting American TF may not be attacked by Japanese land-based air units while en route to the interception hex.

* the intercepting American TF may not be counter-intercepted by Japanese naval forces, although the intercepted Japanese naval force may be supported by Japanese patrols

* Magic interceptions may not be used to respond to Japanese patrols or sea transport missions, which occur in the movement, not the combat, phase.

* After naval combat is resolved, the intercepting American TF must return to its port of origin.

* Magic interceptions are prohibited if Japanese surprise effects apply



NOTE! If Japan also has a Magic strategic card, instead of using it to give a +1 die for a conventional interception attempt, the card may be used to VOID 1 US MAGIC interception.

[joegrundman]

Japanese Task Forces are intercepted in M45!

Japan has no strategic cards, so the US Magic interception works.

US TF1 catches the Japanese mission at sea. US plays a Magic Strategic card.

US TF2 attempts to make the interception. The range to the target is 12 hexes.

Here is the interception table

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/4608/interceptiontableaf2.jpg

Attempting to intercept a sea invasion uses 4 dice +1 for the search AAS in Midway, gives a total of 5 dice. (if the interception had occured in the Japanese target hex, there is a +1 die) the result is halved and (rounded up) in the Pacific.

I roll 18! halved = 9! TF2 moves 9 hexes towards the battle. It will miss teh first round, but may well be there for the second round.

US submarine also attempts to intercept

The same chance but submarines have -2 dice for interception, so three dice.

I roll a 10! halved =5. the submarine moves 5 hexes towards the interception. It looks like the submarine may miss this battle.

Japanese counter-interception

The Japanese patrolling units rapidly reverse course and attempt to counterintercept. Patrolling units move 3 hexes in the direction of the interception. They will miss round 1, but will be there for round 2.

The disposition before round 1

1 search AAS, TF1 engages the Japanses sea invasion force. All other intercepting forces are on the way to the battle

http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/3900/interceptioncopymi4.jpg

[joegrundman]

Naval Combat

Naval combat is a series of combat rounds until one side withdraws all his surviving units, or all units are destroyed. Each combat round follows the following stages

1. Assign task forces and other naval units to combat groups
2. Carriers launch counter-air missions against land based air (lba)
3. remaining carrier aircraft assigned airstrike or combat air patrol (CAP) missions
4. LBA squadrons flying air cover are assigned to CGs
5. the opposing sides make search rolls.
6. Successfully found CGs are revealed
7. carrier based air make air strikes at found CGs
8. land based air make strikes at found CGs
9. the fleets close and engage
10. CGs may be recombined
11. ships may be withdrawn from combat
12. submarines make attacks

Assign Combat Groups (CGs)

Each TF gets assigned a combat group (CG) number between 1 and 6. When playing face to face, you decide yourself, but to speed things up, i will assign combat groups randomly.

Each TF gets a CG number, any smaller units operating outside a TF are grouped together into a CG. Submarines are not included

US
The US has one combat group: CG4

Japan

Japan has three combat groups

CG2
CG5
CG6

Counterair on land based air(LBA)

carrier based squadrons may now attack LBA, however i can't see anyone wanting to do that this turn given how badly damaged the Midway air is already, but if you want to make sure the midway air is really dead, now is the time to do it)

Assignment of NAS

you should now allocate NAS to either airstrikes (attacks on enemy naval forces) or Combat Air Patrol (CAP) - defensive formations over your own carrier groups. Both sides allocate the maximum to CAP, i haven't heard from the US so this is the default decision.

Allocate Land Based Air units for search or air cover

The squadron on Midway can either search for the enemy or can fly air cover over the US CG4, or else wait and participate in airstrikes

Conduct Searches

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/4488/searchtablezj3.jpg

you can see here that the basic allotment of 1 dice per CG means Japan has 3 dice, the US 1.
The US gets 1 extra die for the AAS in Midway
The US gets +1 for the Magic interception, and Japan gets -1
No Magic tactical cards are played

So the search dice are as follows: US 3, Japan 2

Each die roll that matches the number of a CG means that CG has been found. Additional hits give extra informatinon on that CG as shown in the table above

US: 5,4,4! The 2 fours don't find anything, but the US finds Japanese CG5!
Japan: 1,4! The Japanese find US CG4!

Who strikes first?

The side with the most search results strikes first - if tied, then the intercepting force. 1 search result each, the US intercepts, so the US may launch air strikes at Japanese CG5. you have no information about its contents at this time. EDIT! This is not true

Hidden CGs may launch airstrikes before found CGs

8 Japanese eNAS launch airstrikes on the US CG4.

Furthermore, because there are no slow ships in the hidden CG making the attack, Japan gets to roll on the Surprise table.

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/2605/surprisefg7.jpg

This is modified by -1 since the scenario gives the US 1 radar result

I roll a 2! modified to 1. So basic surprise achieved. The defender does not get the normal +1 DRM for squadrons flying CAP

We commence the air combat between 8 attacking eNAS and 2 defending NAS.

Air combat with units flying air cover: there are no LBA flying air cover
Ari combat with units flying CAP: The US player at this point may choose not to defend with his CAP this round, but i'm afraid the default in this situation is that CAP will defend against attackers.

An equal number of attackers separate to engage the defenders.

Two Japanese eNAS squadrons peel off to engage the defending NAS flying CAP

eNAS get +1 for DRM. I roll a 7! modified to 8 gives a 1/2 result on the Air combat table.

One US NAS is shot down, the other is aborted (which doesn't actually make any difference in this situation as it will still be able to fly again next round assuming the carriers survive)

The US NAS do not get the normal +1 for CAP because of the surprise result

I roll a 9! this also corresponds to a 1/2 result. 1 eNAS shot down, 2 eNAS return to their carrier.

5eNAS continue with the mission

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/1523/acresultyg6.jpg

[joegrundman]

The contents of the US CG are revealed. TF1 contains

DD3
CA10
CV3 Hornet
CV3 Enterprise

We look at the air defense table to establish the defense level of the combat group.

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/754/airdefensebw3.jpg

This shows an air defense of 2. I roll a 7! 1 eNAS shot down (Air defense abort results do not count against carrier based naval attacks). 4 eNAS attack the Task Force.

The attacking player may prioritise light ships, named battleships or carriers. I'm assuming that the standing orders are to go for the carriers. Two eNAS go for the Hornet, and two for the Enterprise

I roll on the naval attack table (+3 for elite modifier; +2 for target carriers,-2 target natDRM = +3 total modifier)

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/7726/navalattackgq1.jpg

http://img358.imageshack.us/img358/712/navdrmsv1.jpg

I roll an 8! modified gives a 11! The attack inflicts 3 points of damage on the CV3 Hornet!
I roll a 10! modified gives a 13! The attack inflicts 3 points of damage on the CV3 Enterprise

Scratch two furattops! The Hornet and Enterprise are burning uncontrollably and starting to list. The order to abandon ship is given.

The 4 US attack NAS fly to engage Japanese CG5. This turns out to be TF4, a small TF of slow Battleships. The BB4 Mutsu BB3 Fuso and BB3 Yamashiro, total 10 factors.

Since the group has no aircover, we roll on the air defense table. I roll a 5! All four squadrons make it through the hail of anti-aircraft fire.

The attack has a modifer of -1 (+2 US DRM, -3japanese nav DRM). Because the 4 squadrons will need an 8 to sink a BB3, I decide that all 4 focus on the BB3 Fuso. I roll a 10! The BB3 Fuso is hit by several torpedoes and sinks within 15 minutes.

The US airstrike squadrons return to find their carriers unusable and fly to safety at Midway where they are inverted.

There is no main fleet engagement because none of the CGs match and none of the Japanese hidden CGs are eligible (1 TF used surprise, 1 TF is carrying infantry and the other has slow ships)

[joegrundman]

This ends the first turn of naval combat

the US TF1 has no more air units left to attack with as the survivors are now inverted, and it is clear that, despite sinking the BB3 Fuso, this has been a great defeat.

The US should at this point withdraw and surrender Midway to its fate. There is a chance that the second US TF could sink a carrier, but more likely is that it will also be sunk for no tangible gain.

If teh US player wishes to, we can continue

Japan losses: 2 eNAS +2 NAS + BB3 Fuso
US losses: 1 NAS + CV3 Hornet + CV3 Enterprise

At the end of the scenario AAS are reconverted back to AAF. If there are only 2 AAS, they reconvert to a full AAF. If only 1 AAS remains, the AAF is eliminated. There are 2 AAS so the earlier shot down NAS "reappears"


These are my comments on the battle.

1. The US was very unlucky with the search rolls, whereas Japan was lucky. Luck in searches has a big effect - but let's face it - it had a big effect in the real Midway battle too.

2. Japan's patrol was a scorcher - the attack on Midway air units was a great sacrficial move that significantly hampered US freedom of action - the only thing the US could have done to change the effect of the patrol (maybe) was to intercept the patrolling TF and defeat it. If victorious in taht kind of battle, the US becomes the patrolling force in that hex and would be available to hit the main force (however, a 25 factor TF is not an easy thing to beat, and the US may well have been in poor shape after a victory over such a foe)

3. The US decision to intercept beyond the range of the patrolling force was understandable given that i maybe hadn't made it clear that the Magic Interception only applied to one TF, and not both. Had this been made clearer, he may well have opted to make the interception in the mission hex (Midway). Not only is this a lot nearer, but to intercept a mission in its mission hex gives you 1 extra die roll on the interception. The chances of both US TFs making it were much higher.

4. Given a longer range interception, it would have been better had all three US carriers been in the same TF. TFs which are in the same port together can be reorganised right up to the moment of sailing. You are not beholden to your original TF setup. In a face-to-face game, this sort of last minute arrangement is easy to make, but in this play format, it is not reasonable that play should be held up by half a week for every small decision (no matter how consequential) so basically this sort of thing has to be anticipated.

Please post your comments below, and if, now you know how it works, you wish to refight the battle, then we can, but in a much more streamlined form. In otherwords we will practice writing the PM orders anticipating the various stages so taht i can process the entire battle quickly. There is also the Battle of the Coral Sea scenario.

I made 1 notable mistake (that i have found so far) in the processing of this battle. I numbered the CGs randomly. It should not have been this way. It should always be that if you have 1 CG it is CG1. If you have two, they are CG1 and CG2 and so on.

A second mistake is that patrolling submarines may only ever counter-intercept up to 3 hexes in the pacific. They do not get to continue th interception with subsequent combat rounds

A third mistake, which i have now rectified, was to assume that the hidden attack meant that the US strike did not proceed. This was the case in an older version of the rules, but the updated rules have changed this, so there is no real difference in the order of airstrikes (which makes life easier for me to adjudicate :). The US airstrike sank the BB3 Fuso.