Post by fannyhil on Apr 14, 2013 15:34:46 GMT -5
We met to game last night. I decided to re-fight the second battle of Guadalcanal: Kondo vs Lee.
Neither commander knew anything about the battle. Both commanders were told that the carrier forces fought during the last several days and were either sunk, damaged or pulled out due to a shortage of planes and that this was the last resort for both navies. The American commander was told he HAD to stop the Japanese from bombarding Guadalcanal. I asked him to roll 2d4. He rolled a total of 6. This was how many rounds the South Dakota was going to be without power but I didn't tell him until it happened. We played with the following special/optional rules:
The two American battleships had radar but not the American destroyers.
Destroyers were a base 10 to hit.
Evasive manuevering was -2" for all ships
Star shells had a range of 10"
Searchlights had a range of 20"
Radar had a maximum range of 40"
Visibility was limited to 20" unless the ship was on fire, illuminated or illuminating a ship.
All range modifiers were doubled at night and short range had a +1 modifier
The game was played on a 4'x6' table. We played the long way. Savo was about a foot in from the American side. I was a little apprehensive about such a small table but the night range modifiers and night sighting eliminated the long range sniping. The Americans had two gods (Washington and South Dakota) plus four destroyers. The Japanese had the battlecruiser Kirashima, two heavy cruisers, two light cruisers and eight destroyers. We moved dice to represent the ships or formation until spotted. The Kirashima and two destroyers were on the far left, the two heavy cruisers and three destroyers to the right of the Kirashima and the two light cruisers and three destroyers next heavy cruisers. The Japanese were spread out across left and center of the table with nothing on the right. The Americans were spread out six abreast with four destroyers on the left and the two fast battleships to the right.
I thought the first American shells from the battleships would start about turn 2. The first shells hit the Nagara on turn 3. She was mortally wounded and went down with the turn 4 salvoes. When the Japanese commander saw what he was up against, he commented that it was going to be a short night.
Meanwhile the Sendai started getting pounded. On turn 4 we spotted the four American destroyers and the Japanese destroyers opened up on them at medium range. Shells were exchanged with an American DD taking a penetrating hit that started a fire.On turn 4 the Sendai went down and the Takao began to take a beating. The American commander was rolling hot or cold. Either multiple hits on a ten or twenty percent chance or none.
Meanwhile the three Japanese destroyers on the far left headed towards the American battleships. At this point I let the American commander know that the South Dakota had just lost power and she had no guns, no radar, no radio and that it would be that way until turn 10. He commented that the game would be over by then and all of the American ships would be at the bottom of the sea.
Turn 5 both sides closed and turned to broadsides. The Kirashima turned and began making towards the position of the reported American battleships. The Washington pounded the Takao with her main guns but missed with her massive secondaries on the three Japanese destroyers closing. The Atoga launched torpedoes at the South Dakota at long range. She scored two hits on the evasive battleship. Two of the three destroyers that closed were able to get off torps and scored another hit on the South Dakota. The Washington was missed at short range. She was living a charmed life.
With the sheer number of ships firing at them the American destroyers started sinking. The nearly dead Sendai turned away from the battleships and headed toward the American destroyers where she contributed to the sinking of one of them.
Kirashima turned broadside to the American battleships. Washington hit Kirashim with a broadside knocking out a turret, causing two floods and caused an engineering hit. The Kirashima retaliated. The Washington landed four of nine shells on the Kirashima with a 100% chance of a critical, while the Washington received one penetrating hit and two non-penetrating hits. At this rate the Kirashima had two rounds left. We traded shells again. The South Dakota went down to a hail of shells and torpedoes.
At this point the American commander announced that it was over and gave up. Ironically the Japanese were almost all out of torpedoes. The Kirahsima was down 60% of her hull points as was the Washington.
I always consider it a success when both sides suggest/complain that they don't have a chance to win. Up until the South Dakota took three torpedoes, the game was mirroring history exactly.
I think with better tactics, this could have been a walk-away American victory. The American commander spread his forces out across the table. If he had kept the destroyers closer to the battleships, they could have screened off the enemy destroyers and created a smoke screen the enemy couldn't fire through. In all fairness, it has been several months since we last played and we have not played with battleships in a good six or eight months.
Comments?
Neither commander knew anything about the battle. Both commanders were told that the carrier forces fought during the last several days and were either sunk, damaged or pulled out due to a shortage of planes and that this was the last resort for both navies. The American commander was told he HAD to stop the Japanese from bombarding Guadalcanal. I asked him to roll 2d4. He rolled a total of 6. This was how many rounds the South Dakota was going to be without power but I didn't tell him until it happened. We played with the following special/optional rules:
The two American battleships had radar but not the American destroyers.
Destroyers were a base 10 to hit.
Evasive manuevering was -2" for all ships
Star shells had a range of 10"
Searchlights had a range of 20"
Radar had a maximum range of 40"
Visibility was limited to 20" unless the ship was on fire, illuminated or illuminating a ship.
All range modifiers were doubled at night and short range had a +1 modifier
The game was played on a 4'x6' table. We played the long way. Savo was about a foot in from the American side. I was a little apprehensive about such a small table but the night range modifiers and night sighting eliminated the long range sniping. The Americans had two gods (Washington and South Dakota) plus four destroyers. The Japanese had the battlecruiser Kirashima, two heavy cruisers, two light cruisers and eight destroyers. We moved dice to represent the ships or formation until spotted. The Kirashima and two destroyers were on the far left, the two heavy cruisers and three destroyers to the right of the Kirashima and the two light cruisers and three destroyers next heavy cruisers. The Japanese were spread out across left and center of the table with nothing on the right. The Americans were spread out six abreast with four destroyers on the left and the two fast battleships to the right.
I thought the first American shells from the battleships would start about turn 2. The first shells hit the Nagara on turn 3. She was mortally wounded and went down with the turn 4 salvoes. When the Japanese commander saw what he was up against, he commented that it was going to be a short night.
Meanwhile the Sendai started getting pounded. On turn 4 we spotted the four American destroyers and the Japanese destroyers opened up on them at medium range. Shells were exchanged with an American DD taking a penetrating hit that started a fire.On turn 4 the Sendai went down and the Takao began to take a beating. The American commander was rolling hot or cold. Either multiple hits on a ten or twenty percent chance or none.
Meanwhile the three Japanese destroyers on the far left headed towards the American battleships. At this point I let the American commander know that the South Dakota had just lost power and she had no guns, no radar, no radio and that it would be that way until turn 10. He commented that the game would be over by then and all of the American ships would be at the bottom of the sea.
Turn 5 both sides closed and turned to broadsides. The Kirashima turned and began making towards the position of the reported American battleships. The Washington pounded the Takao with her main guns but missed with her massive secondaries on the three Japanese destroyers closing. The Atoga launched torpedoes at the South Dakota at long range. She scored two hits on the evasive battleship. Two of the three destroyers that closed were able to get off torps and scored another hit on the South Dakota. The Washington was missed at short range. She was living a charmed life.
With the sheer number of ships firing at them the American destroyers started sinking. The nearly dead Sendai turned away from the battleships and headed toward the American destroyers where she contributed to the sinking of one of them.
Kirashima turned broadside to the American battleships. Washington hit Kirashim with a broadside knocking out a turret, causing two floods and caused an engineering hit. The Kirashima retaliated. The Washington landed four of nine shells on the Kirashima with a 100% chance of a critical, while the Washington received one penetrating hit and two non-penetrating hits. At this rate the Kirashima had two rounds left. We traded shells again. The South Dakota went down to a hail of shells and torpedoes.
At this point the American commander announced that it was over and gave up. Ironically the Japanese were almost all out of torpedoes. The Kirahsima was down 60% of her hull points as was the Washington.
I always consider it a success when both sides suggest/complain that they don't have a chance to win. Up until the South Dakota took three torpedoes, the game was mirroring history exactly.
I think with better tactics, this could have been a walk-away American victory. The American commander spread his forces out across the table. If he had kept the destroyers closer to the battleships, they could have screened off the enemy destroyers and created a smoke screen the enemy couldn't fire through. In all fairness, it has been several months since we last played and we have not played with battleships in a good six or eight months.
Comments?
