Defending the Malay Barrier: Turn 2, 1st - 15th January 1942, Allied Forces intercept Japanese Convoys.

Two allied naval groups have succeeded in thwarting any Japanese attempts to prevent them intercepting convoys.

EASGROUP v JINTSU CONVOY

EastGroup (USN) having defeated the Nachi patrol now approach the Jintsu invasion convoy. The USN flag is transferred to the cruiser Boise who leads 7 Clemson class destroyers north. 3 of those destroyers have sustained hull damage limiting their speed to 30 knots. 

Success! The Japanese convoy is contacted by the American sweep. 8 merchant ships/transports escorted by the cruiser Jintsu and 2 Kagero class destroyers make up the convoy.

 

The USN Boise Steaming north leading the destroyers in line astern. It is now nighttime.

In the foreground, the Boise sights a Japanese ship heading directly towards them from the east at a distance of 20,000 yards (100cm).

Continued -

The Jintsu ahead of the main convoy flanked by destroyers.

Although contact is made, there is still the matter of that turning into a 'sighting' in order for the action to commence.

There is a new moon limiting visibility. Each side tests in successive turns to establish if a sighting has been made. No ships are equipped with radar and the USN is further hampered by poor night time training at this stage of the war. The US force is steaming north at 25 knots while the convoy is steaming west at 11 knots.

Several turns tick by as the US group continue sailing north oblivious of the presence of the convoy. Similarly the convoy continues on its way with neither sighting the other. Gradually the distance widens again beyond the limit of visibility. 

An utterly wasted opportunity for the USN to deliver some serious damage on the Japanese and not something I expected!

DARWIN GROUP v CHITOSE CONVOY

The Darwin sweep of 2 heavy and 4 light cruisers, lead by the flagship Australia, was now free in an attempt to intercept the Chitose invasion convoy having survived a Land Based Air attack with only the heavy cruise Canberra sustaining light hull damage.

It is once again dark but with dawn approaching. There will be 12 night turns before visibility improves. The Australian/New Zealand force in the foreground is sailing due north at 25 knots. The Chitose convoy is sailing due east at 11 knots and is situated to the north west of the Australians at a distance of 16,000 yards (80 cms). 

HMAS Australia leads the cruiser division followed by HMAS Canberra, HMAS Hobart, HMAS Perth, HMNZS Achilles and HMAS Leander. 

Several Australian ships have the advantage of radar including the flagship unlike the Japanese.

The Chitose convoy with the elderly cruiser Naka leading.

The floatplane carrier Chitose is situated at the centre of the convoy but not able to launch its aircraft at night.

I replaced all models with counters representing ships that have yet to be spotted. Models are then placed as they are identified.

3 turns pass with poor dice rolls by both sides, particularly disappointing for the Australians with their radar advantage. It all changes on turn 4 (depicted in the photo). 

The Australia's radar acquires 3 blips. Starshells are immediately fired from their secondary batteries including those of the Canberra illuminating 3  Japanese ships.

Australia, Canberra and Hobart fire their main batteries on the nearest contact, the Naka. The Australia's 8" salvo proves the most devastating registering 4 hits. Damage is extensive knocking out its gun director, breaching a bulkhead leading to flooding, and hitting its floatplanes knocking out its launcher causing a fire. Canberra misses completely but a 6" shell from the Hobart plunges into the wreckage of the floatplanes causing another fire. 

The crippled Naka is reduced to 10 knots and fighting to stay afloat.

The Japanese have yet to identify a single Australian warship! 

Turn 5

The Japanese have the advantage of excellent searchlights with a far longer range than the allies. Shining their searchlights in the direction of gun flashes illuminates the Australia and Canberra. 

The acquiring of the Australian ships benefitted the Japanese little. The Naka in the foreground was almost dead in the water and with its gun director knocked out had to rely on local gun control. Unable to manoeuvre the only guns brought to bear were the forward turrets which failed to hit the Australia.

HMAS Australia's radar has now detected the entire Japanese convoy. More starshells were fire illuminating more Japanese ships. Horrified at the prospect of rushing headlong into the firepower of 6 cruisers, the convoy desperately attempted to manoeuvre away taking care not to collide. The two columns on the left turned to starboard in line astern. The right hand column turned to port with the destroyer escorts rapidly gaining speed to intercept the cruisers. They may have been hopelessly outgunned but they were equipped with the deadly 'Long Lance' torpedoes.

The Harusame (left of photo) was the first destroyer to peel away and began acquiring a firing resolution on the cruisers. It fired a broadside towards the Australia failing to register a hit. The Japanese destroyer was straddled in turn from the 8" guns of the Canberra destroying its 'A' and 'Y' turrets.

Turn 6

The Naka fails to extinguish its two fires and begins sinking with the crew abandoning ship.

More starshells are fired illuminating more radar contacts. In the foreground, the Harusame launched a full broadside of 8 torpedoes prior to moving. The launch position can be seen by the markers in the middle left of the photo. They are now streaking towards the Australia and Canberra.

The Australians split their force into 2 divisions with the Perth leading the Achilles and Leander towards the south of the Japanese fleet. To the right the Harusame has illuminated the Perth with its searchlights who responds with devastating effect. A full broadside from its 6" guns knocks out its torpedo tubes, last gun turret, searchlight, its depth charge rack causing a fire, and breaching two bulkheads. It is now just a piece of floating scrap!

The Australia lead division seeks to destroy as much of the convoy as possible but only manages to inflict minor damage on a destroyer. A 5" shell from one of those destroyers bounces of Australia's armoured hull.

Turn 7

8 Long Lance torpedoes streak towards the Australian cruisers. The diminished visibility at night leaves little time to react. One of the torpedoes strikes HMAS Canberra with serious consequences. 5 hull boxes are lost leaving the ship crippled and speed reduced to 5 knots. 

Another 4 torpedoes are in the water fired from the Murasame (top left). The Japanese destroyer Yudachi (far left) has increased speed to get ahead of the turning merchant vessels in order to acquire a firing solution for its torpedoes. It is met by a barrage of shells from the Australian cruisers destroying its depth charge rack and causing 2 fires. It also suffers flooding from a breached bulkhead.

HMAS Leander, at top of photo, is illuminated by searchlights. The closest Japanese ship is the burning destroyer Harusame which becomes the focus of attention for Leander's 6" and 4" secondary guns. More shells plough into the wreckage but it stubbornly refuses to die!

In the foreground, the destroyer Yudachi ominously trains its torpedo tubes on the approaching light cruisers. The Perth is unable to fire it's broadside on the destroyer but has success with its forward 6" turrets seriously damaging its hull and breaching a bulkhead.

Turn 8

The Perth lead division were extremely fortunate to avoid 8 torpedoes fired at close range. Their searchlights illuminated several Japanese ships and utilising their rapid fire ability poured 6" and 4" shells towards them. To the right of the photo, the already damaged Hokuroku Maru suffered particularly badly with a bulkhead breached and all cargo holds destroyed.

The Japanese orders the convoy to scatter. It will be every ship for itself in the hope that some can escape while it is still dark.

HMAS Australia accelerates to maximum speed aiming to cut off any ships attempting to escape north. 

The now crippled Canberra slowly peels away replaced by the Hobart.

HMAS Hobart straddles the Chitose (bottom right) causing extensive damage. It has two breached bulkheads and suffers significant flooding.

Turn 9

Perth's division make a simultaneous turn intending to get among the merchant vessels and create mayhem. It very nearly comes unstuck when the Leander on the right of the line puts itself on a collision course with the Japanese destroyer Samidare. Fortunately a collision is narrowly avoided and for good measure, the Leander and Achilles pour 6" shells into the Samidare sinking it outright.

The Perth on the left set fire to the Kagu Maru (middle left of photo) and breached its bulkhead causing flooding.

On the far left of the photo the Harusame fails to extinguish its fires and finally succumbs. On the bottom right the Hobart seeks to intercept the dispersing merchant vessels.

Another fright for the Australians. The Australia seeking to overhaul the destroyer Murasame is suddenly faced with a potential ramming action as the Japanese vessel swings towards her at her maximum available speed. Concentrating all its 8" and 4" guns on the destroyer it turns the deck into a burning wreck. All its gun mounts are knocked out and a hit on its engineering slows it down but the Murasame is not finished yet and ploughs on towards the Australia.

Turn 10

The burning mess that is the Murasame still has an engine room in good condition and its hull is largely intact allowing it to maintain a good 27 knots. It came close enough to HMAS Australia to generate a collision test. For it to succeed in ramming all it had to do was beat the Australians on a D12 dice roll.

The Australians rolled a '3'. Surely this was the time for the Murasame to gain a heroic glory. The Japanese roll ..... a '2'! The Australia heeled hard over to port as the Murasame slid by, almost close enough to strip the hull paint!

For good measure the Australia fired its 'X' and 'Y' turrets adding further to the carnage on the Murasame's decks.

The multitude of mainly Australian torpedoes crisscrossing the sea had mostly missed their mark, but occasionally one found its target. Here one strikes an already crippled Chitose causing it to sink.

Another hits the Ehime Maru and although it manages to stay afloat, the damage is such that there is no hope for survival. 3 bulkhead breaches and a fire are more than enough to signal its demise in the next turn.

In their urge to get among the helpless merchant vessels, the Perth division were at risk of collisions. They avoided the need to take collision tests but had come close.

All 3 cruisers pour fire into the nearest merchant ships with the Perth (top of photo) achieving spectacular results. It's 6" shells tour into the Kagu Maru one of which ignited onboard ammunition. The resultant explosion wrecked the ship.

An overview at the end of turn 10. It is looking extremely bleak for the Japanese with the only warship still afloat being the destroyer Murasame and all its weapons are out of action. There is now only 2 moves until dawn when any Japanese vessels that escape will be very lucky indeed.

Turn 11

Perth, Achilles and Leander increase speed to close down any possibility of any Japanese vessels escaping. Achilles fires a salvo of 4 torpedoes at the Rakuto Maru (middle of photo) but all miss. However, the Japanese ship finds itself sandwiched between two Australian cruisers both of which fire full 6" broadsides into her. The Rakuto Maru is reduced to a burning wreck with 3 fires raging and 3 bulkheads breached causing flooding.

The two Japanese ships who have the most hope of escape are the Kanu Maru on the left and the Shoka Maru. Unfortunately for them several cruisers are fast approaching. The first is the Australia (top of photo) who hammers the Kanu Maru with 8" shells causing a fire and breaching a bulkhead leading to flooding.

HMAS Hobart quickly closes in on two Japanese ships that are now almost dead in the water pounding the Chowa Maru on the left. With 4 bulkhead breaches there is now no prospect of saving the ship.

The last of the Japanese destroyers, the Murasame (top left) battle to extinguish a fire and her speed is now reduced to 5 knots. The crippled Canberra still has operational weapon systems although it too is limited to 5 knots of speed. It fires 'A' and 'B' turrets hitting the Murasame with 8" shells. This proves too much for the Japanese ship and adds to the losses suffered by the convoy.

Turn 12

Several Japanese ships succumbed to their heavy damage and began to sink, just leaving the Kanu Maru and Shoka Maru still afloat. They were rapidly being overhauled by 4 Australian cruisers and at this point I concluded the game. There was no prospect of them escaping and they were unable to fight so they would merely be added to the overall Japanese losses.

One incident of note was the Perth, in her haste to close on the Japanese vessels, neglected to pay attention to the 4 torpedoes fired by Achilles a couple of turns earlier. The Perth had placed itself in the trajectory arc of the torpedoes and a test was made to ascertain if any hit. Luckily for the Perth they could breathe a sigh of relief as all 4 tracks passed by harmlessly.

Summary

A resounding victory for the Australians leading to a total wipe out of the convoy and its escorts. The crippled Canberra was the only loss and would be out of the campaign for a major refit.

This secures the allies 45 VP's (victory points) to the Japanese 2 1/2 VP's (the crippled Canberra).

I will cover the end of turn 2 in the next post which will include possible air attacks on crippled ships and their escorts.