Airboy’s extended campaign AAR continues across the Pacific ~

Avery Abernethy, 23 October 2016

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Scenario 5 Bougainville – Avery Abernethy

The Naval Battle:

The key to victory is keeping a screen of destroyers between your cruisers and the Japanese destroyers. If the Japanese destroyers get to close range and launch torpedoes your cruisers are doomed. But torpedoes can only be launched once every four turns. My destroyers are both shields to absorb torpedo attacks and spears to torpedo Japanese cruisers after the Jap destroyers are sunk. A second advantage of a tightly clustered fleet is better anti-aircraft fire.

Got PT squadron

A fleet comes to the rescue

Destroyer screen

Jap fleet sighted & destroyers supporting the landing moving towards the fleet

The Jap Destroyers launched early against my Destroyers at long range. This was ineffective. US cruiser and destroyer gunnery sank the Jap destroyers. Then US destroyers launched close range torpedo attacks to sink several Jap cruisers. US losses were two destroyers sunk with others heavily damaged. One of my cruisers was heavily damaged. But I made one major mistake. I used my PT boat squadron to launch an attack and it got sunk. I should have held the PT boats out of the battle. Then they could have attacked Japanese amphibious reinforcements after the rest of the Navy retired.

Two Jap destroyers sunk & most Jap destoryers launched torpedoes ineffectively

Most Jap destroyers sunk with some damage to the fleet; Jap aircraft approaching

US destroyer sunk & cruiser heavily damaged

US torpedo attacks sink two cruisers

Jap fleet sunk

Fleet leaves the marines

Back to the ground fight tomorrow!

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