MALAYA 1942 CAMPAIGN - TURN 2

I really like the idea of some background to help flesh out the campaign. We did not have enough time at the end of the first game to roll for some of the campaign background and effects as listed in ‘At the Sharp End’ and Len Tracey’s ‘Malaya 1942 campaign’ rules. So we sorted it out between games.

JAPANESE PLATOON BACKGROUND

After their loss in the 1^st battle, the Japanese replaced their platoon with a fresh one. So there was no need for background on that platoon. The new platoon was:

Rikugun (senior leader) Fujita-san - Thoughtful, average appearance, 25 years old. Sponsored by some senior generals into officer academy, so there are high expectations with a lot of pressure to succeed.

Gunsō (sergeant) Haregawa-san. Also 25 years old. A fisherman from a busy coastal village who was called up.

Rifle squad 1 leader Aoki-san. 27 years old. From the same fishing village as Haregawa-san, who pulled some strings to make this happen.

Rifle squad 2 leader Matsuda-san. 27 years old. An unwilling conscript, but has hidden this so well from his officers it allowed him to achieve promotion to squad leader. This conflicts him as he has pride in doing a good job.

Rifle squad 3 leader Kojima-san. 26 years old from an old samurai family that has become destitute. He hopes to die gloriously in battle to make his ancestors proud.

Grenade discharger squad leader Onishi-san is 25 years old. A veteran of the China campaign, although proud to serve, is becoming fatigued from long years of campaigning.

AUSTRALIAN PLATOON BACKGROUND

Rolling for the Australian force also produced some interesting results.

Lieutenant Kenneth Reid (platoon leader) is only 18 years old, but claims to be older and his superiors have not realised. He was promoted in the field less than a month ago, following the death of his commander. He has retained the position due to his tenacious leadership of this platoon at the battle of Gemas. He began this current campaign feeling ‘secure’ and has now improved to ‘sociable’ due to winning last week’s battle.

Sergeant Gary Turner is an experienced army man at 46 years of age. Originally a stockman, he has no problem sleeping rough.

Acting Corporal Brian Evans is the new section 1 leader, following the death of his predecessor in the first battle. He is 23 years old and was a bank clerk in civilian life.

Corporal Colin Moore heads up section 2. He was a city labourer in Sydney and was an early volunteer. He is 27 years old.

Corporal William Colling, leading section 3, is 26 years old and was a grocer’s assistant in Brisbane.

MAP

The battle was to be fought in the same general location as the first one. Leith had the choice of attacking in the same position or moving the attack to either flank. He chose to attack along the road again (was this an indication he wanted to use another tank?).

To provide some variety we decided to re-orient the tabletop as shown in the map below, so that flanking moves were more possible:

Malaya 1942 Campaign - Map - Turn 2 Battle 2

SUPPORT

Again we kept the choice of support secret from each other at the start of the battle.

Japanese support

• Leith was able to afford a better tank; choosing a Type 97 Chi-Ha. This is a medium tank with a 57mm main gun and 2 x 7.7mm type 97 machine guns. The armour varies from 8 to 25mm thick. It has a crew of 4.

Australian support

• 2-pdr anti-tank gun with 5 crew and Junior Leader.
• Adjutant to help organise the arrival of the troops.
• 2" mortar team.

FORCE MORALE

Feeling confident after the last game, the Australians rolled well for a Force Morale of 11.

The Japanese start the campaign with a +1 to the die roll. They gained a Force Morale of 9.

PATROL PHASE

Leith chose to use 3 rather than 4 patrol markers. Again the aim of the Australians was to close down the Japanese as quickly as possible. In the campaign the Japanese can move their patrol markers 14" and can be up to 14" apart to represent their preparedness for this campaign. The Australians use the standard 12" patrol distance.

In the photo the white circles show the position of the Japanese jump-off points and the blue the Australian.

BATTLE

Turn 1 Phase 1

• The Japanese force started with initiative due to the campaign, despite starting with a lower Force Morale in this game.
• Rolling 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 the Japanese brought in the medium tank. Leith wanted to bring the tank in early and advance it faster than in the last game, to pressure the Australians.
• Gunsō (sergeant) Haregawa-san arrived and brought in the 1st rifle squad, placing them on overwatch. After a slow deployment due to command rolls in the last battle, Leith was taking no chances this time around.

• Countering, the Australians brought in a 2-pdr anti-tank gun. Early success caused 2 net hits: giving the tank crew 2 shock and killing the driver. This would require 2 activations in subsequent phases for the hull machine gunner to replace the driver.
• Upon arrival the 1st Australian rifle section was effective in dealing 2 kills and 2 shock to the 1st Japanese rifle squad.
• Overwatch fire from the Japanese was not overly effective - only putting 1 shock back onto the Bren team.

Really a stripped down 25-pdr model but being used as a 2-pdr for this scenario

Turn 1 Phase 2

• Japanese command roll of 1, 1, 2, 4, 6. Hasegawa-san removed 2 shock and ordered the 1st rifle squad to open fire, inflicting 1 more shock on the Bren team. Should have been only 1 shock removed as the Gunsō only has 2 command points. Something to remember for next game.
• The tank commander ordered the hull machine gunner to start replacing the driver. He then fired the main gun to put a shock on the anti-tank gun.
• The Japanese 2nd rifle squad was brought in to attack the anti-tank gun. Their fire surprised the crew, wiping out 4 and giving them 1 shock. The Junior Leader somehow survived the onslaught. All this from only 6 hits. Leith understandably was quite pleased with my roll. I was speechless for a few seconds, then we both had a good laugh.

• The Australian command roll was 2, 3, 3, 4, 4. The 2nd rifle section was brought in to protect the one crewman and Junior Leader left operating the anti-tank gun. Their fire was effective; causing 3 shock, 2 kills and the Japanese Junior Leader lightly wounded. No effect on the Japanese Force Morale.
• Sergeant Turner removed 2 shock from the 1st Bren team. Shooting from the 1st section caused 1 shock and lightly wounded Junior Leader Matsuda-san. 2 Japanese leaders now only had 1 command point each. Once again Leith rolled low and with the -1 adjustment, no effect on Japanese Force Morale.

Turn 1 Phase 3

• Japanese 1, 1 ,2 ,6, 6 for command. Combined a 1 and a 2 to activate the tank, completing the change of driver. Ineffective fire against the anti-tank gun.
• Nothing else done, but the Japanese had the next phase due to the double 6.

Turn 1 Phase 4

• Japanese 1, 3, 5, 5, 6. Some Chain of Command points and a mortar team from the grenade discharger squad brought on. We found the organisation of the Japanese grenade discharger squad confusing as it was broken into 3 teams, but each of the rifle squads had no sub-teams. According to Len Tracey the knee mortars always operated together and fired at the same target. So perhaps they should be treated as a single squad with no teams. In the rules they fire as rifle grenades although there is debate on the Chain of Command forum about whether they should be treated as mortars or rifle grenades. Len Tracey also indicated that the large size of the squad was because most of the men were keeping ammo up to the knee mortars. Due to this we allowed the Japanese in this campaign to ignore the rule where rifle grenades run out of ammo if fired in 2 consecutive phases.
• Australian command roll of 1, 1, 2, 3, 5 provided their first Chain of Command point. Anti-tank gun hit the tank but did not penetrate. 2nd section shot, putting 1 kill on the Japanese 2nd rifle squad.
• Acting Corporal Brian Evans ordered his squad to fire on the Japanese 1st rifle squad with good effect; producing 2 kills.

Turn 1 Phase 5

• Japanese rolled 3, 5, 5, 5, 5 which gave them their first Chain of Command die.
• Their 2nd rifle squad fired through the jungle for no effect on the Australian 2nd section. Colin Moore breathed a sigh of relief.
• Japanese used the Chain of Command dice to interrupt so they could fire at the anti-tank gun to try and finish it off. The high explosive (HE) round resulted in a kill on the Bren team, but Colin survived unscathed.
• The anti-tank gun hit the tank again, causing 1 net hit. This resulted in 1 more shock and no activation next phase.
• Concentrated Australian fire was effective, causing 4 shock plus 2 kills on the Japanese 2nd rifle squad.

Turn 1 Phase 6

• The Japanese command roll of 1, 1, 1, 5, 6 allowed them to start their next Chain of Command die.
• Combining the 1s allowed Leith to bring in the 3rd rifle squad to the east of the road, to aid Matsuda-san’s squad. They fired onto the Australian 2nd section and the anti-tank gun, killing the last gunner and leaving only the Junior Leader to serve the gun. A heroic but risky choice had to be made whether to operate the gun with only the Junior Leader and risk more Force Morale loss or move the Junior Leader to safety.
• 1 killed plus Colin Moore wounded. Bad roll for the Australians with -2 Force Morale. Obviously Colin was popular with his men. Or maybe he owed them too much money from two-up: a coin-tossing betting game popular with Australians of that era.
• The Australians hit back with a command of 2, 3, 3, 4, 5. 1 kill plus 1 shock on 3rd Japanese rifle squad. Same result on their 1st rifle squad.

Turn 1 Phase 7

• Japanese command roll of 1, 1, 2, 3, 5. Not bad. More fire laid down, causing 11 hits. Anti-tank gun hit, so must be the Junior Leader. Also 1 hit on Sergeant Gary Turner, who had been directing the 2nd rifle section. No activation for the rest of the turn. Bad Things totalled -2, so Force Morale was down to 7 for the Australians.
• Japanese 2nd rifle squad reduced shock by 2 and shot. 5 shock still on the squad, but the Japanese in this campaign count shock as if they have 2 fewer before determining its effect, so only shot with 1 less die. Due to the heavy cover and difficulty spotting targets in the jungle, there was lots of noise, but no effect from the Japanese shooting.
• The Australians completed a Chain of Command die. Firing with all 3 sections, they inflicted 3 more shock overall across the squads of their foe.

Turn 1 Phase 8

• Japanese command roll of 1, 2, 3, 5, 5 was interrupted by the Australians to shoot at the tank. 1 net hit brought the shock to 3 as well as removing the lowest dice for flat out movement.
• Minor casualties were inflicted by the Japanese, although the grenade discharger squad failed to contribute.
• The anti-tank gun fired again, manned only by the brave Junior Leader. Great rolling gave net 2 hits. Anything but a 6 would cause the crew to bail out. Of course the roll was a 6. The tank main gun was knocked out which was a good thing, but no additional shock. We did not realise until after the game that Leith should have rolled for ‘Bad Things Happen’ when the main gun was knocked out. However, the way he was rolling low for almost all these ‘Bad Things’ rolls it may have meant no effect anyway
• Fire from the Australians caused 1 kill on 3rd squad. Even more accurate was the fire onto 1st squad. 1 kill, 1 shock plus Aoki-san killed. -1 to Force Morale and the squad pinned.

Turn 1 Phase 9

• The Japanese command roll of 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 allowed them to wipe out the Bren gun team of the Australian 2nd section, but with the confused fighting caused by the jungle, there was no impact on the Australian Force Morale. Other fire was ineffective.
• The anti-tank gun hit the tank yet again, but it bounced off the thick mantlet armour.
• The Australian 1st and 3rd sections advanced cautiously, firing as they went. This resulted in 3 more shock to the Japanese 1st squad, bringing them to a total of 8 shock. Worse for the Japanese was the breaking of their 2nd squad, although with the -1 campaign modifier to the ‘Bad Things Happen’ die roll it produced no effect on Force Morale.

Turn 1 Phase 10

• The teams, sections and squads were becoming more fragile on both sides, apart from the Japanese 3rd rifle squad since the Australians had been concentrating on breaking the 2nd rifle squad. Some more trading of fire continued. The main impact this phase was the Australian 1st section wounded Haregawa-san. Knowing their commander was injured, Force Morale for the Japanese dropped to 7.

Turn 1 Phase 11

• The Japanese 3rd rifle squad moved forward towards the Australian jump-off point near the abandoned anti-tank gun. Seeing 18" that phase, they fired across the road onto the flank of the Australian 3rd section – causing 1 kill each on the rifle team and Bren team. Fire from the grenade squad was ineffective.
• As the Australians were about to reply, the Japanese used a Chain of Command dice to interrupt. Their 3rd squad fired on the Australian 2nd section. Unfortunately, the CoC dice was wasted as this shooting had no effect.
• Buoyed by the poor shooting of the Japanese, the Australians replied. 3 shock pinned the Japanese 2nd squad. Matsuda-san was killed. This time the ‘Bad Things Happen’ roll finally gave -2 Force Morale, so the Japanese were now down to 5. 1 more and they would start losing command dice.
• On the left, the Australian 1st section moved forward carefully while firing and inflicted 1 shock on the grenade discharger squad. Getting close enough would force the Japanese squad to use their rifles rather than the knee mortars. With no machine gun in their squad the volume of fire advantage would lie with the Australians.

Turn 1 Phase 12

• Japanese double 6, but nothing else of use. Very frustrating at this critical stage of the battle.

Turn 1 Phase 13

• Japanese 1, 2, 2, 2, 6. Kojima-san removed shock and led the 3rd rifle squad forward. They were now within 4" of the most forward Australian jump-off point, shutting it down. If they moved onto it and ended the turn, then the Australians would have to roll for ‘Bad Things Happen’.

Kojima-san closes in on the Australian jump-off point whilst the Australians temporarily withdraw to the other side of the hill and await reinforcements. The hill is obviously steep since the Australian figures kept falling over. They are meant to be upright

• Close decision, but the Australians decided to withdraw while their force morale was (just) higher than the Japanese.
• The Japanese had command problems due to killed and wounded leaders. The jump off points to the west of the road and the grenade discharger squad were under threat but it would probably take a couple of phases for the Australians to press that advantage. To the east of the road the almost fresh 3rd rifle squad were about to move onto the Australian jump-off point and threaten the damaged rifle team which had withdrawn over the hill in an attempt to reduce further casualties.
• The Australians were thinking about bringing a rifle section across the road to threaten Kojima-san’s flank, but that was a risk as a short move would leave them stranded in the road with a risk of machine gun fire from the wounded tank.
• Australian Force Morale was 1 higher but with the -1 adjustment to 'Bad Things Happen' rolls the Japanese were harder to drop. So from a campaign point of view the Australians decided they had damaged the Japanese enough. It was risky for them to take too many casualties as they rarely get replacements in the campaign.

WRAP-UP

A fun and very close game at the end and a tough decision for the Australians about whether to withdraw or not.

The Japanese rolling for ‘Bad Things Happen’ was impressive for not losing Force Morale on many occasions.

The Australian shooting was more effective overall than the Japanese.

The Australians were very close to knocking out the tank on 2 occasions, including the first round of fire from the anti-tank gun. A good hit in a later phase would have seen the surviving Junior Leader up for a medal.

However, the deadly fire from the tank in only the 2nd phase of the game nearly wiped out the anti-tank gun early.

Care needs to be taken when deploying jump-off points that they are not too far forward as they risk being overrun.

CAMPAIGN IMPACT

The Japanese won the scenario but received 16 casualties plus 2 dead leaders. Next game they would have 2 new squad leaders promoted from the ranks which would only have a command radius of 3" and 1 command point each. If they survived the next game they would become accepted by the men and on a roll of 3 to 6 would become a normal Junior Leader.

With 2 men promoted, casualties and replacements the overall effect would be 5 men down for the Japanese with 4 in hospital who could return to this platoon after the next game.

Fujita-san is now Sociable. CO’s opinion now +1 because of winning but the men’s opinion now -5 due to the high level of casualties. Overall effect is to retain the +1 adjustment to the Force Morale roll at the start of next game.

The Australians received 7 casualties from the main platoon and 5 from the anti-tank gun crew. By having a higher Force Morale and inflicting 50% more casualties (including dead leaders) the campaign impact was not as great for the Australians as it could have been. The result for the Australians becomes a Losing Draw rather than a defeat.

Kenneth Reid is now Popular. CO’s opinion +2 and the men’s opinion +1 due in part to the lower casualties. Overall effect is to give this platoon a +1 adjustment to the Force Morale roll at the start of next game.

For the next game we move on to map 2 which is based on scenario 2 from the rule book.

MALAYA 1942 CAMPAIGN - TURN 1

Leith and I kicked off the Malaya 1942 campaign for Chain of Command, published by TooFatLardies in their Christmas 2015 Special pdf.

The first battle location in the campaign is based around Scenario 1 from the Chain of Command rule book, with some appropriate modifications. This scenario has the two armies probing to check the strength and location of the opposition. The scenario is won by one side forcing the withdrawal of the other.

The Australians are trying to utilise a blocking position in a defile against the Japanese; but have had little time to prepare due to the rapid Japanese advance. Blitzkrieg at its best.


MAP

Malaya 1942 Campaign - Map - Turn 1 Battle 1

The table was to consist mostly of Primary Jungle, with a road down the middle. The road ran through a defile, which made a good ambush position. There were 2 rolls required on the campaign scenery table. For us these proved to be:

• Rubber plantation. We then rolled randomly for size – 24 x 24“
• Bamboo forest. Rolled randomly for size - 13” x 13”

There are no rules for positioning terrain in the campaign, so we decided to simply roll a D6 for position along the table and another D6 for position across the table. Leith and I agreed that the rubber plantation would be adjusted slightly, if needed, to have easy access to the main road.

So the plantation would have the main road either along one edge or through the middle of it. We also decided that the plantation would not be on the defile. The dice rolling worked out fine. No adjustment of position for the rubber plantation or bamboo forest was necessary.

Above can be seen the resulting map. The dotted lines show the hills that create the defile.


SUPPORT
Japanese support

• Leith decided it was appropriate to take a tank as support to represent the Japanese use of armour in this campaign. All he could afford was a Type 95 Ha-Gō light tank as support for his infantry platoon. Armed with a 37mm main gun and 2 x 7.7mm type 97 machine guns, the armour is not very thick. It has a crew of 3: commander, hull machine gunner and driver. However, it is still a tank!

Australian support

• Vickers MMG team with 5 men. For some extra firepower.
• Boys anti-tank team with 2 men. I decided to take an extra team to supplement the standard platoon one, since these teams are quite fragile and the only anti-armour in the force at this stage. This was just in case any tanks should appear.

A great thing about Chain of Command is that support options can be chosen secretly. We did this as it adds to the fun. And with the way deployment works, you may not know until well into the game what your opponent has chosen.


PATROL PHASE

Chain of Command starts with a patrol phase before any troops are placed on the tabletop, to determine where your jump-off points will be. These points are where you are able to deploy troops when you get the right command roll and are also ready to bring on a team, section/squad or support option.

Both sides started with 3 patrol markers on the road at their respective edges and pushed forward quickly. The Australians locked down the Japanese patrols quickly to ensure they did not obtain a deep outflanking position. In the early part of the war, the Japanese are allowed to move their patrol markers further each turn, recognising that their doctrine stressed mobility and flank attacks.

In the photo the 3 white circles show the position of the Japanese jump-off points and the 3 blue circles the Australian jump-off points.

BATTLE

Turn 1 Phase 1

• The Japanese started with the initiative, bringing in a mortar team and a senior leader to the east of the road.
• The Australians were able to bring in 2 Junior Leaders with their sections to the east of the road, trying for an early advantage. Both sections were placed on overwatch.

Turn 1 Phase 2

• The Japanese 1st and 2nd rifle sections jumped off about 15” from the Australians but did not spot them, so could not fire on the Australians. Peering through the trees the Australian 2nd section saw both Japanese rifle sections and conducted overwatch fire; inflicting an impressive 3 dead plus 3 shock on the Japanese 1st section (ouch) and 1 pin on the 2nd section.
• In the primary jungle the visibility is 12” + 1d6”. The Japanese rolled a 1 and a 2, the 13” and 14” not enough to spot the Australians. The Australians rolled a 4, so their 16” visibility for this phase allowed them to fire at both Japanese sections.

• Both Australian sections moved tactically and fired (with half dice) trying to press their early advantage. The 1st section was now just within 12”. This not only guaranteed visibility, but also brought the sub-machine gun (SMG) within range.
• The Australian 2nd section rolled a 5 for visibility. This resulted in more impressive fire, with 4 more Japanese casualties and a Junior Leader unconscious. This brought the Japanese 1st rifle section to around half strength already.
• The Australians brought in their 3rd rifle section to pile the pressure on, deciding to press the advantage rather than finessing.

Turn 1 Phase 3

• After a slower start for the Japanese, Chain of Command points were now 4 for both sides. When you get to 6 you are allowed to spend it on special actions. you do not have to do this straight away, and can even save more that one Chain of Command (CoC) die until later in the game.
• The Japanese knee mortars were called in by their 1st rifle section. They opened up on the Australian 1st section, shredding the canopy as the shells rained down but doing little else. The distraction allowed the Japanese 1st rifle section to inflict a kill on the Australian 1st rifle team, 2 shock on the Bren team and a wound on the Junior leader who was instructing the Bren gunner. The men were unfazed by his wound (rolling a 1 for ‘Junior Leader wounded’ on the ‘Bad Things Happen’ table).
• The Australians rolled 3, 3, 6, 6, 6 for command. The triple 6 meant end of turn after this phase, which had no effect on either side at this point of the game. End of turn will remove any smoke, overwatch markers, some pin markers, re-awaken unconscious leaders and rout any still broken units.
• The Australian 1st section fired and the 2nd section moved tactically then fired at half effect. The result of all this was only 1 shock on the Japanese; so no significant benefit.

Turn 2 Phase 1

• Australians started the first phase of the new turn because they had rolled the triple 6 in the preceding phase. They rolled 2, 2, 2, 4, 5 for command. They were now up to 5 on their CoC die.
• Firing at Japanese 1st section gave 1 dead, 1 shock and their Junior Leader out for the rest of the turn. Once again, no bad thing happened. Both sides had been rolling 1’s for the wounds on their leaders so far, avoiding any loss of Force Morale points. Perhaps the jungle had stopped the men from knowing about the hits on their leaders.
• The Japanese 1st rifle section was now pinned. This means they accumulated shock points double or more the number of men left in the team or section/squad. Units that are pinned cannot move, fire and fight at half effect, but count as if in one level of cover higher due to hugging the ground.
• With a 1, 1, 3, 3, 6 for command the Japanese shot well; causing 2 dead, 2 shock and a wound on the leader of the Australian 1st section. Also 2 dead in the Australian 2nd section.
• Despite this success, with the Japanese still feeling behind in the firefight, their 3rd rifle section came in to try and tip the balance.

Turn 2 Phase 2

• The Australians rolled 5, 5, 6, 6, 6 for command. A Chain of Command dice complete and a second one started.
• The triple 6 again meant end of turn after this phase. Unfortunately for the Australians, all it did was allow the Japanese 1st rifle team leader to regain consciousness! All the double and triple 6’s rolled by the Australians had not amounted to much so far.

Turn 3 Phase 1

• With another phase, the Australians rolled 1, 5, 5, 6, 6. Chain of Command dice mounting up for them, but otherwise nothing could be done.

Turn 4 Phase 1

• Starting turn 4, the Australians rolled 1, 2, 2, 5, 6. Yet more Chain of Command points, but the Australian commander was not sure how best to use them at this stage.
• The Australians continued to tactically advance their squads alternately. The overall fire was effective, adding more kills and shock on the front two Japanese rifle sections.
• The Japanese 1st section broke and retreated deep into the jungle, well out of sight. The leader of the 2nd rifle section was wounded. Japanese force morale was now down to 8, but a long way from being a problem.
• The Japanese finally got to act after the multiple Australian phases. With a 1, 2, 3, 4, 4 both senior leaders were brought into play. This was to try and give the attackers more flexibility in command and quicker removal of shock. But their firing was lacklustre, only causing one casualty in the Australian 1st section Bren team.
• Leith brought in the Japanese light tank at the start of the road, representing a scout for an armoured column. Seeing this, I was glad I had spent some support points on a second Boys anti-tank rifle team.

Turn 4 Phase 2

• Despite all the shooting that occurred this phase, the result was ineffective from both sides.
• Leith raced the tank up the road. Unless the Australians could stop it leaving the area, they would have to withdraw.

Turn 4 Phase 3

• The Australian command roll of 1, 2, 2, 2, 4 allowed them to bring on the HQ Boys anti-tank rifle team. Lurking behind a jungle bush, they hit the tank 2 to 0, putting the MMG out of action for the game and 2 shock on the tank. A total of 3 shock would stop any further advance of the tank. 4 or more shock would result in the crew bailing out for the rest of the game. It is possible to reduce shock using the Junior Leader of the tank if they get to use the correct value of command dice.

• The Australian Bren and rifle fire did not hit many times, but it was enough. Although it only caused a few more shock and kills, it was a perfect storm for the Japanese. A rifle section broke. The already wounded Junior leader was killed and a senior leader was wounded.
• Japanese Force Morale was now at 4. They decided to withdraw, particularly as the Australians had a Chain of Command dice which they could use to end the turn and rout the senior leader attached to the broken rifle section. This would result in further loss of Force Morale.

CAMPAIGN IMPACT

A good start in the campaign for the Australians, stemming from some very decisive early rounds of fire from which the Japanese never really recovered.

Due to losing the battle, the main Japanese commander will replace this losing platoon with a new full-strength one. The losing Japanese platoon leader may not have much of a future.

Because the Australians won and had a significantly higher force morale, their casualties were reduced. Being left in possession of the battlefield, more wounded are able to be rescued and treated. The difference was high enough that the Australians did not lose any rank and file for the next battle.

However, with an Australian section leader a casualty, a fighting man would need to be promoted from the ranks to run his section. The Australians had no replacements available, so this section would be one man down. The inexperienced leader would have a smaller command radius and just 1 command point (instead of 2). If he survived the next battle he had a good chance of becoming an experienced Junior Leader. However, with only 1 command point he has a greater chance of becoming a casualty.

The Japanese would have to attack in the same location the next turn, but they could choose to fight away from the road in an attempt to find a way around the flank of the Australians.

MALAYA 1942 CAMPAIGN - CHAIN OF COMMAND

Having only recently tried Chain of Command, I am really taken by the rules. They pit WW2 platoons plus supports against each other. The rules are very quick to learn, but there is great depth to the play. And it appears that it will reward historical tactics. The platoons use the historical organisation, not an open-ended point system. Balance between different platoon types and nationalities is provided by different support levels. One figure, gun or vehicle represents one person, gun or vehicle. Games are typically 2-player although there is a free pdf called “Big Chain of Command” if you wish to play with multiple players per side.

Another great thing about Chain of Command is that the rules are supported by a large number of campaigns. These are known as pint-sized campaigns due to their size and the pdf normally costing the price of a UK pint of beer. Many wargamers love the idea of a campaign, but often find they get bogged down in unnecessary detail. It is difficult to get the balance of interest, complexity and playability correct. But the TooFatLardies seem to have struck an ideal balance for what I am looking for in a campaign system.

The pint-sized campaigns are not complicated and allow you to get stuck in quickly without lots of upfront record keeping. They usually have good historical background. There is a base pdf called “At the Sharp End” which provides the general guidelines used or modified by each of the pint-sized campaign pdfs. It even shows you how to put a campaign together. This pdf is available at low cost from the TooFatLardies website shop.
To keep things simple the campaigns use a ladder system. This is where the battle locations (tabletop) are like the rungs on a ladder. The winner pushes the loser to the next rung. A draw will usually require a refight at the same location (rung).

See Chain of Command products in TooFatLardies website store

Having played just 2 games of Chain of Command and having watched several great YouTube videos by TooFatLardies and the guys at Tabletop CP, I decided to launch into a campaign. My friend Leith was also keen, having played Chain of Command for many years.

ON TO SINGAPORE

Twice a year the TooFatLardies produce a special magazine with articles on scenarios, rules variations, background information and campaigns for their various games. In the Christmas Special 2015 was a Malaya 1942 campaign by fellow Australian Len Tracey. Len is very knowledgeable about the Pacific war, particularly Australian and Japanese organisation and equipment. You can find more of his wisdom in the Chain of Command forum.
Given the historical outcome, this might at first thought appear a poor choice for a campaign. But closer reading showed how near the Japanese force was to running out of supplies including ammunition, fuel and food. Travelling light so they could travel fast, the Japanese showed they understood the concept of blitzkrieg.

Similar to the German challenge in Normandy, in this campaign the Australians are attempting to slow the rapid advance of their enemy to give time for reinforcements to arrive. The Japanese are trying to get to Singapore before running out of supplies. It is unlikely that the Australians can win this campaign by defeating their enemy. They win, draw or lose by how much delay they cause (or don’t cause) the Japanese.

This was an ideal choice of first campaign for us. Leith already had painted figures for both Japanese and Australians. Also, given Leith’s familiarity with the rules, it was an ideal match for him to take the experienced Japanese troops and for me to lead the less experienced Australians.

CAMPAIGN BALANCE

If the Japanese lose a battle, they throw in a new platoon for the next battle. If they win a battle, they use the same platoon again, but get replacements which will keep them closer to full platoon strength.

The Australians get very few replacements, so have to conserve their platoon. This might have them withdrawing early from a game (even one they are winning) because they are taking too many casualties. 

The Japanese cannot stop and consolidate. They must continue to attack. Usually if they fail in a battle, they will need to fight that battle again at the same location. There is a limited chance of a counter-attack by the Australians if they win in certain locations. This will push the Japanese back one rung, causing further delays, but then after that battle the Japanese will resume the offensive.
Further balance is provided by the Japanese getting a -1 modifier to the dice when rolling on the “A Bad Thing Happens” table. A roll on this table occurs when a leader is wounded or killed, a team or section breaks or is wiped out, a support such as a tank or anti-tank gun get knocked out and other bad things.
A die is rolled to see how much this event impacts a sides Force Morale. A side is defeated when their Force Morale reaches zero. Force Morale typically starts at 8 to 11 points. Each roll on the “Bad Things Happen” table will reduce the Force Morale by 0, 1 or 2 points.
With a -1 on the die roll, the Japanese have a greater chance of not losing any Force Morale points when a bad thing happens. So they will stay in the fight longer. This is a simple but effective way of reflecting the confidence in winning they had at the time. And makes it harder for the Australians to win a long grind. This encourages historical hit and run tactics against the Japanese.

CAMPAIGN MAPS

In this campaign, the maps are not set. This is on the basis that subsequent fights in the same area will usually have the Japanese force outflanking any blocking position that held them up. This is a realistic reflection of what occurred historically.
So the table will likely be different each time. Len Tracey has provided guidelines on how to set up the tables and detailed rules for each of the new terrain types found in the Asia-Pacific area. Very handy for anyone writing a campaign in this theatre of the war.


THE CAMPAIGN BEGINS
Leith had some jungle terrain, although with jungle you can always do with more. I ordered trees from China and found some plastic bushes on special in the local big chain hardware store. Lucky timing as these are not always stocked.
Whilst I set out to make more jungle terrain, we decided we would not wait. Being keen, we just wanted to get started with the campaign. Playing would also provide an incentive to finish making more jungle quickly. So expect to see thicker jungle as the campaign goes on.

We also felt that if we mucked up something significantly, we could take any learnings and just start the campaign again.

And so it begins . . .

GQ3 - ISLAND CRUISER PATROL

With two opposing fleets assembling among the Pacific islands in World War 2, both sides were probing for weaknesses. Neither fleet was yet ready to take on the other, but they were keen to gain moral advantage before the oncoming battle.

Two cruiser forces were on intersecting courses. A British cruiser force was heading east, patrolling a line past which the Fleet Commander did not want the Japanese to go. A Japanese cruiser force was heading roughly south, mapping out possible lines of advance and probing the Allied picket lines.



Imperial Japanese Navy (in squadron order)

• IJN Nachi – Myoko class heavy cruiser – with 5 x twin-barrelled 8” turrets, 4 x twin-barrelled 5” turrets and 4 sets of quad torpedo tubes. Maximum speed 33 knots.
• IJN Tone - Tone class heavy cruiser – with 4 x twin-barrelled 8” turrets, 4 x twin-barrelled 5” turrets and 4 sets of triple torpedo tubes. Maximum speed 35 knots.
• IJN Naka – Sendai class light cruiser – with 6 x single-barrelled 5.5” turrets, 2 x twin-barrelled 3” turrets and 4 sets of twin torpedo tubes. Maximum speed 33 knots.
• IJN Sendai – Tenryu class light cruiser – with 3 x single-barrelled and 1 x twin barrelled 5.5” turrets, 1 x centreline single-barrelled 3” turret and 2 sets of triple torpedo tubes. Maximum speed 32 knots.

Royal Navy (in squadron order)

• HMS Suffolk – Kent class heavy cruiser – with 4 x twin-barrelled 8” turrets, 4 x twin-barrelled 4” turrets and 2 sets of quad torpedo tubes. Maximum speed 32 knots. HMS Achilles – Leander class light cruiser – with 4 x twin-barrelled 6” turrets, 4 x twin-barrelled 4” turrets and 2 sets of quad torpedo tubes. Maximum speed 32 knots.
• HMS Cornwall – Kent class heavy cruiser – with 4 x twin-barrelled 8” turrets, 4 x twin-barrelled 4” turrets and 2 sets of quad torpedo tubes. Maximum speed 32 knots.
• HMS Ajax – Leander class heavy cruiser – with 4 x twin-barrelled 6” turrets, 4 x twin-barrelled 4” turrets and 2 sets of quad torpedo tubes. Maximum speed 32 knots.

Turn 5 - Hostilities Commence

It was as the wind eased that the two patrols spotted each other between the islands. The wind eased to half its former speed to the relief of the crews as the ships accelerated to battle speed. The gun directors would also not be affected in their accuracy if the wind stayed at this speed.

In General Quarters III weather changes are tested for at the start of turn 5 and every 5th turn after that.


Turn 6

The heavy cruiser IJN Nachi was the leading Japanese ships. The IJN squadron was pointing directly at HMS Suffolk as she appeared from behind an island, so only the forward two turrets of the Nachi could fire on the British. And only the HMS Suffolk had the Japanese in view at this stage.

The British scored the opening point of the match by knocking out a starboard secondary turret on the Nachi. The Japanese were closing in, with shell splashes not far from the Suffolk.

Both squadrons found the range quickly. With the next salvo, the British knocked out ‘A’ turret on the Nachi. Another shell found the fuel store for the spotter planes. The resultant fireball did some minor damage to the hull and started a small blaze.

Men quickly rushed to action to pour seawater onto the flames. The Japanese fire-fighting crew was effective, bringing the blaze quickly under control.

IJN Nachi’s reply was equally effective, knocking out ‘X’ turret on the Suffolk.

Turn 6: The lead ships spot each other and open fire

Turn 7

The Japanese circled slowly to port. This allowed them to bring more guns to bear on the British, but without turning sharply enough to upset the gun directors. Confident after the first round of firing, HMS Suffolk slowed slightly so that it could fire a few more salvoes before disappearing behind the next island.

HMS Achilles was now out from behind the island and able to join the action. This it did quickly by landing a bulkhead hit on IJN Nachi with its opening salvo. The Japanese appeared to be set for a pounding.

The British split into two groups, each led by a heavy cruiser with a light cruiser following. HMS Cornwall led the 2nd group in a port turn around the nearby island. Although only able to bring its front turrets to bear on the Japanese at this stage, it turned so as to not interfere with the broadsides of the Suffolk and Achilles.

This allowed the Cornwall to come into action a turn earlier than if it had just followed the Achilles. The British commander was confident that the damage already caused to the Nachi and the early introduction of the extra guns may allow him to quickly overwhelm the Japanese force.

Turn 7: Maneouvring so that more ships can trade fire

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

By turning to port, the Nachi was now able to bring more guns to bear, despite a turret being out of action. It switched firing onto the Cornwall as this presented a bigger risk if it continued towards the Japanese light cruisers.

The first two shells to land made a mess of the deck, damaging both sets of torpedo tubes, but to the relief of its captain did not damage the main armament.

This relief was short lived, however, when the last shell penetrated the forward magazine. The resulting explosion fatally wounded the British heavy cruiser – knocking it out of the battle and the war with just one salvo.

Sailors swam for the nearby island as it slowly settled below the water. Distracted by the explosion, none of the other ships landed any shells.


Turns 8-9

The repair crew on the Nachi were having trouble stemming the flow of water from the damaged bulkhead, causing it to slow further. HMS Suffolk now had no target as it steamed behind the island off its port beam. With the Ajax avoiding the sinking Cornwall and ships having to swap targets because of them appearing and disappearing between islands, no-one hit with any of their next few salvoes. (In GQ3 we use the optional rule that when you fired at a different target, or no target, last turn, you only use half the number of dice. This simulates time taken up with ranging shots before firing full salvoes at a target.)


Turn 10

The weather was closing in again, with the wind freshening and visibility down to 14,000 yards. The opponents were within this range, so it was not currently a problem for firing. The sailors felt happier as it would make it easier to elude the enemy if that became necessary.

Turn 10: IJN Tone is about to follow IJN Nachi out from behind the island

By the time the crew of the Nachi had finished patching the bulkhead the Japanese ship had taken on a lot of water and was down to half speed.

All the cruisers were now capable of firing at each other. The Achilles joined in by hitting the engine room of the Naka, slowing it to half speed. A shell also penetrated one of the Naka’s magazines, knocking out the main port turret in the process. But quick work by the crew flooded the magazine in time to contain the explosion.

The Nachi only managed to knock out the port torpedo tubes of HMS Suffolk, but the British ship took the hint and swapped its aim to this new threat.

Turn 10: The ill-fated Cornwall is left behind

Turn 11

The repair crew on the Naka got the ship back up to near full speed just as the Achilles exploded the oxygen supply for the starboard torpedo tubes – starting a fierce oxygen-fuelled fire.

The Ajax followed suit, knocking out a set of torpedo tubes on the Tenryu. However, this Japanese light cruiser did not have the long lance torpedoes so he crew did not have a fire to contend with.

With the two Japanese light cruisers entering the narrow strait between two islands, the British light cruisers took the opportunity to both launch torpedoes. Although at medium range for the torpedoes, the Japanese would have restricted manoeuvring room.

The Japanese ships were not living up to their early promise and all missed their targets. But the Suffolk did not make that mistake. Angered by the loss of their sister ship, they quickly homed in on the Nachi; destroying ‘B’ turret, damaging the hull and slamming two shells into the engine room.

The Nachi was now dead in the water unless their crews could make some temporary repairs. Worse was that all power was lost to the main guns, making her a sitting duck.

But the British could not take immediate advantage of this good shooting. They needed to concentrate on the other three Japanese ships because they were currently a bigger threat.

Turn 11: IJN Tone moves to shield the burning Nachi as the Japanese light cruisers head through the strait

Turn 12

Damaged shafts and ruined main bearings greeted the work crew on the port side of the Nachi’s engine room. This side was beyond temporary repair. Another crew were still working on the other side of the engine room to see whether they could get the ship partly underway. With the port side wrecked, the best they could hope for was half speed if they could repair the starboard side.

On the Naka, the fire fighting team was struggling to control the flames fanned by the strengthening wind. The heat was beginning to buckle some of the structural members of the Japanese cruiser.

In the narrow confines of the strait, the two spreads of torpedoes both headed towards the Tenryu. But the captain was experienced at this game and calmly manoeuvred his ship to narrowly avoid both spreads.

The British commander was disappointed, but at least the distraction would make it more difficult for the Japanese gunnery crews on the Tenryu. The British light cruisers were enjoying their gunnery, unlike the other ships.

The Ajax battered the incoming Tenryu by destroying a set of torpedo tubes, knocking out ‘Y’ turret and damaging the hull. Not to be outdone, the Achilles pasted the Naka; knocking ‘A’ turret out of action as well as causing two hull hits and buckling a bulkhead. The Captain slowed the Naka rapidly to reduce the intake of water through the holes in the hull.

Turn 12: The British torpedoes launched the previous turn all narrowly missed the IJN Tenryu

The British Affinity for Engine rooms - Turn 13

Further disappointment greeted the Japanese Captain of the Nachi as the starboard repair crew also discovered critical damage to the engines. The Nachi was not repairable in situ and would need a tow to safety. They only had their secondary armament operable, but it was causing little damage at this stage of the battle.

The crew were silently cheering on the Tone at the same time as cursing the poor shooting from that ship. It was their only hope. They needed to Tone to scare off the British and then tow the Nachi to safety.

To their delight the Tone finally began landing some shells, knocking out a port secondary turret and causing a hull hit. The damage they were taking was distracting the Japanese gunnery teams on the light cruisers. Again they failed to land any penetrating shots.

Unfortunately for them the Ajax and Achilles continued to land shells on their hapless opponents. The Ajax knocked out ‘A’ turret as well as slowing the Tenryu by landing a shell in the engine room. In this battle the British seemed to be specialising in taking out the propulsion systems of their opponents.

Once again the Achilles did even better, with two more shells into the hull of the Naka and another into the engine room. This was more than enough to doom the Naka. With all the holes in its hull, it rapidly went to the bottom.


Turn 14

Close range shooting was now the order of the day for the heavy cruisers still underway. Both landed four shells. The Tone suffered the loss of ‘A’ turret, a damaged bulkhead and two hull hits.

The Suffolk also lost ‘A’ turret plus a set of torpedo tubes. It also had an aircraft fuel fire. But worst of all was a starboard rudder jam, which began turning the British ship into the nearby island. If they did not fix this quickly the remaining British heavy cruiser would soon be aground.

The Achilles now switched to target the Tone, knocking out a secondary turret. HMS Ajax continued on the Tenryu, knocking out ‘X’ turret, causing a hull hit and (you guessed it) an engine room hit. The Tenryu was now stationary in the water and so badly damaged that another hit may finish her off.


Beached As Bro' - Turn 15

To the cheers of the Japanese, the Suffolk turned into the island and came to a shuddering halt. The red faces of the British crew was probably from embarrassment, although they claimed it was from the glow of the fire that was still burning while they had been concentrating on trying to repair the rudder.

The Japanese repair crews were very effective, with the Tenryu repairing part of the engine room and the Tone patching the leaky bulkhead. Undaunted by their rough introduction to island life, the gun crews of HMS Suffolk staved off their brave Japanese opponents by damaging the only gun director on the Tone, smashing their starboard torpedo tubes and starting a fire from exploding oxygen.

The only other ship to be hit was the Tenryu. Just as she made some headway, but a bare 6 knots in these heavy seas, several shells slammed into her from HMS Ajax. The loss of another main turret became irrelevant as unable to take further punishment, the Tenryu disappeared beneath the waves.

Turn 15: HMS Suffolk fails their parking test due to a jammed rudder

Wrap-up

IJN Nachi was permanently dead in the water. Two main turrets had been destroyed and the other three were unable to fire because of the permanent engine room damage. It had taken 5 hull hits out of 8.

The two Japanese light cruisers (IJN Naka and IJN Tenryu) had been sunk. Their 5.5” guns were shown to be no match for the 6” guns of the British light cruisers. By the time they had closed to a range where they could penetrate the British ships, they had been virtually destroyed.

The Japanese hopes rested solely with IJN Tone. This heavy cruiser was now only capable of 16 knots, although this was infinitely faster than the British heavy cruiser could do. Although the Tone still had 3 main guns operational, its accuracy was going to be low. With no gun director it would fire at 2 ranges worse. Like the Suffolk, it was currently on fire.

HMS Cornwall was sunk by a magazine explosion from the first salvo fired at it (Turn 7). This put the British on the back foot early on. However, the British firing improved in accuracy while the Japanese unfortunately wasted their early advantage.

The British used the islands to advantage so that at times they had more shots on the Japanese ships than could be fired back at them. Although HMS Suffolk was wearing the island as a bow decoration it still had two turrets of 8” guns and three secondaries with which to defend itself. But first it had a fire to put out.

HMS Achilles and HMS Ajax were undamaged. Aftermath It was at this stage that we ran out of time. It had been a very close and exciting game. It had swung backwards and forwards between the sides.

The state of play after 15 turns

What may have happened if we had not run out of time? Both British light cruisers were capable of 32 knots; twice the speed of the Tone. So there was no way that the Tone could outrun them unless it damaged both without taking further damage itself.

Both British light cruisers also had their starboard torpedoes available (having used their port torpedoes earlier) and were in a position to fire them at either the Tone or the Nachi next turn if desired. The Tone could probably outrun the torpedoes, but it would force her away from the grounded Suffolk.

The two British light cruisers would try and keep the Tone at 6,000 to 9,000 yards range, given that the Tone had no gun director. That way on average they would get 4.7 damage rolls per turn against only 0.8 damage rolls for the Tone.

If the Suffolk got any shots at the Tone, then the Tone would be in an even worse position. However, if the Tone repaired the gun director, then it would do 2.6 damage rolls on average each turn. This would be better, but the British could still do nearly twice as much damage.

If the Tone moved away from the Suffolk, then the Suffolk could just pound away at the Nachi. If the Tone moved closer, then the light cruisers would still try to maintain the ideal range and have the guns of the Suffolk in support. This could raise the British trio to a total of 6.4 damage rolls per turn.

The British were definitely ahead, but repair of the gun director and a round of good shooting for the Japanese might just tip the balance. Both sides were probably frantically calling up air and/or naval support.

At this stage neither side was willing to disengage. If the British light cruisers were able to be driven off without finishing off the Nachi, then the Tone may well destroy the Suffolk and then tow the Nachi away.

If the Tone limped away, then the Nachi would be finished off quickly. The Suffolk would then be towed from the island. If the Tone stayed, chances were that it would be sunk and then the Nachi finished off for a clean sweep by the British.

But the outcome was far from certain, particularly as both heavy cruisers were currently on fire. Leaving it there opens up a number of possibilities for follow-up games continuing from this point, including :-

1. Send in bombers and air cover for both sides, with a variable delay for each side when they come on.
2. Send in reinforcements in the form of other patrols.
3. Send in reinforcements - one side with aircraft and the other with ships.
4. Fight the main battle, feeding in squadrons of ships at a time.

This is the account of a fictitious World War 2 naval battle fought at Nunawading Wargames Association in Melbourne, Australia using General Quarters 3 naval rules. The miniatures are mostly 1:2400 GHQ models.

GQ3 - RESUPPLY AT CAMUGRA ISLAND

World War 2 in the Pacific. Light easterly winds. Visibility 23,000 yards. Hot as Hades.

The British cruiser force steamed north through the islands, hunting for Japanese ships. A coastwatch observer had alerted them to a small Japanese force in the vicinity. The Japanese were aware that the islands were used as a base to refuel and rearm Allied submarines, but the Japanese force did not know exactly where.

RESUPPLY AT CAMUGRA ISLAND

Two submarines were currently undergoing re-supply from a converted freighter, in the shelter of Camugra Island.

A Japanese force cruised south, hunting for any supply ships. They were spotted by one of the submarines and radio contact was made with the British supporting force, warning them of the approaching Japanese ships.

At first the Japanese failed to spot their target, hidden by the shadow of the island. Instead, their rear two ships spotted the lead two ships of the British as they cleared Camugra Island. Both cruiser forces accelerated to battle speed and readied their main guns.

The leading Japanese heavy cruiser, Aoba, was obscured from the British by Camugra Island. Similarly, the British light cruiser HMS Achilles was not yet in the sight of the Furutaka and the Agano.


OPENING SHOTS

The opening shots from both sides missed, but provided useful ranging data. As the ships continued on their nearly parallel, but opposite, courses the British proved quicker at finding their target. With one salvo, HMS Exeter scored two hits on the Furutaka, knocking out 'B' turret and its port secondary turret.

The next salvo was even more accurate, knocking out 'Y' turret, destroying the port torpedo tubes, 2 shells damaging the hull and one shell jamming the rudder. None of the other ships had yet recorded a hit but the Furutaka was nearly impotent, having only 1 main turret left.

The damage control party on the Furutaka had some success though, and quickly repaired the rudder. This was lucky. If the rudder had remained jammed, the Furutaka would have soon run aground on Camugra Island.

TORPEDO AWAY

The Japanese finally had some success, with the Agano hitting the York, causing a hull hit. But the Japanese commander's hope that this would signal a turnaround in the battle was short lived.

The Exeter continued to pound the damaged Furutaka, knocking out 'A' turret, their fire control and causing two bulkhead hits. Water was now pouring into the hull of the Furutaka. Men frantically worked to quell the flow of water.

The HMS York added to the Japanese woes as it knocked out 'A' turret on the Agano. The lead Japanese ship, Aoba, was steaming rapidly around the island.

The Allied subs and freighter were frantically trying to get underway. So far they had not been a target as the Japanese cruisers had been too busy firing back at the British cruisers.

The two submarines finally were closed up and able to slip underwater; to their great relief. Despite the efforts of their crew, the flooding on the Furutaka continued. It slowed as it settled lower in the water, only able to make 5 knots.

The freighter finally had its boilers up to pressure and began moving. This was unfortunate as it actually moved the freighter into the path of several shells, dropping its speed as two shells hit the hull, including one that buckled a bulkhead – causing the water to start rushing in below decks. It was lucky not to have a shell ignite the store of fuel.

The Exeter continued with their accurate fire by again hit the Furutaka; knocking out its last torpedo tubes. With all the manoeuvring going on, none of the other ships hit.

Currently being outnumbered three to one, the light cruiser Agano turned north and fired a torpedo in the hope of hitting, or at least distracting, the British ships.

The repair parties on the Furutaka successfully stopped the water flooding in the starboard side. But it was to no avail, as enough water had come in through the port side to finally sink the cruiser. The repair team on the freighter started their repair, but were having trouble staunching the inrush of water.

The Exeter and Achilles had by now spotted the heavy cruiser Aoba appearing from behind Camugra Island. They performed a sharp turn to head towards it in an attempt to protect the freighter. With a new target, both these British ships had to fire ranging shots and so did no damage.

The Aoba chose to fire on the nearest British ship, which was now the Achilles. It also missed.

The British commander tasked the York with continuing to hunt the fleeing Agano, but they recorded no hits.

TRADING HITS

The temporary patch was successful in stopping the leak on the freighter, but it could only limp along at about 6 knots.

The Agano and the York were now down to a reasonably close range and both ships traded hits. The York lost one starboard secondary turret and took two shells in the hull – one of which damaged a bulkhead. In return the Agano lost 'B' turret, took several hull hits, lost its starboard secondary turret and badly damaged the fire control systems. They also had a shell cause some damage in the engine room, dropping the ship to half speed.

The Exeter continued its turn towards the south, but unfortunately steamed right into the path of the torpedo previously fired by the Agano. They spotted the torpedo at the last minute and performed some violent evasive manoeuvres. They were successful in avoiding the first three, but just got hit by the fourth. The torpedo caused two hull hits and the subsequent buckling of the deck put 'A' turret out of action.

The Aoba achieved 3 hits on the Achilles - causing a hull hit, knocking out 'X' turret and also destroying its starboard torpedo tubes. But the return fire from both British ships made a mess of the Japanese heavy cruiser. 'B' turret and 'Y' turret were put out of action, leaving only one main turret. The engine room was damaged, dropping its speed. But worst of all, the port torpedo tubes were smashed and the oxygen which fuelled the 'long lance' torpedos started a fire.

THE BATTLE REACHES ITS PEAK

Neither damage control party was having much success. The water continued to leak in on the York and the oxygen fuelled fire raged on the Aoba; doing further damage to both ships. The ships continued to close, but no salvoes were successful.

With most of the oxygen consumed, the fire was finally able to be extinguished on the slowing Aoba by concentrating the repair parties on it.

Unfortunately this meant that the engine room repairs could not be completed. The British were also successful in plugging the leak on the York.

With the Aoba going so slowly, the Exeter and Achilles steamed rapidly to 'cross the T'. The Exeter only landed one 8-inch shell, although this devastated the bridge of the Aoba. But the fire from the Achilles landed a whole salvo, knocking out the last main turret. It also causing more hits on the hull and another engine room hit which made the Aoba dead in the water – a sitting duck with only secondary armament left.

IJN AOBA IN TROUBLE

The damage to the Aoba's engine rooms was so severe that they were not able to repair it quickly. As the Exeter was about to 'cross the T' it launched a torpedo at the sitting duck. With only a short distance to travel, the British torpedo closed rapidly on the stricken Aoba. It hit an already weakened part of the hull, causing severe damage. It was more than enough to sink the stationary Japanese cruiser.

To the north, the York missed the fleeing Japanese light cruiser. The latter obtained a minor consolation prize by knocking out a port secondary turret on the York. This was enough to make the British commander call off the chase and the battle now came to a close.

He had sunk two Japanese heavy cruisers and rescued the freighter. However, all his cruisers and the freighter were damaged. Only the York still had all main turrets in operation.

The final moments of the Aoba as the torpedo from the Exeter hits home

WRAP-UP

The British gunnery was excellent throughout the battle. Being on target early on and knocking out several main turrets made it then very difficult for the Japanese to play catch-up.

The lucky long range hit with the Japanese 'long lance' torpedo could have brought the Japanese back in the game if it had caused more damage and sunk the Exeter. The heavy cruiser Aoba would then have only had the light cruiser Achilles firing at it whilst the Aoba still had all three main turrets in action. This would have given a chance for the heavy cruiser Aoba to sink the light cruiser Achilles before the York could come to its aid (although the Achilles did knock out one of its turrets in that exchange of fire).

However, that may have just opened up an opportunity for one of the Allied submarines to torpedo the Aoba. As it was, with them firing so accurately in that battle, it was a clear victory to the British.

This battle was fought using General Quarters 3. This was the first battle that we used simultaneous movement with written orders, as per the rules. It took a little longer than just moving them without writing orders. However, it was not much extra time and added an element of excitement each turn from trying to second guess your opponent.

Note that the Japanese ships were substitutes for the ones required for the game, so ignore the labels on them. For example, the Kako was used to represent the Aoba.