Defending the Malay Barrier: Force Z Sortie Part 1

Before I detail the initial action of the campaign, I will cover some of the rules contained within the book (see previous post).

There are 6 bi-weekly turns with an optional turn 0 being the Force Z sortie. I have opted to include turn 0, which as it turns out, is a useful introduction into the campaign mechanism. Anybody aware of the initial moves by Japan will understand that this is a very one-sided affair. The ABDA (America, Britain, Dutch and Australia) navies were hopelessly outgunned at this stage of the war. The allies have no hope of defeating the Japanese outright, but they do have a chance of winning the campaign by amassing victory points.

The central core of this is disrupting Japanese invasion and resupply fleets. This potentially prevents Japan achieving its historical objectives.

Each turn is broken down into a number of phases:

1. General Intelligence
2. Japanese Theatre Events
3. Allied/ABDA Theatre Events
4. Weather Forecast
5. Japanese Command Decisions
6. Allied/ABDA Intelligence
7. Allied/ABDA Command Decisions
8. Japanese Intelligence
9. Engagements
    a. Weather determination and time of day
    b. Engagements resolution (resolved in order as below)
        i     Roll for ship availability
        ii    Resolve Carrier Group vs. Carrier Group attacks
        iii   Resolve Carrier Group vs. Surface attacks
        iv   Resolve Land Based Air attacks
        v    Resolve Japanese Patrol vs. Allied/ABDA Sweeps
        vi   Resolve Allied/ABDA Sweeps vs. Japanese Convoys
        vii  Resolve IJN Carrier Group follow-up attacks vs. disabled Allied/ABDA surface groups
        viii Resolve Land Based Air follow-up attacks vs. disabled Allied/ABDA surface groups
10. Repair, Bookkeeping and Victory Determination

The book provides details of orders of battle for each turn and the events section follows historical and optional a-historical deployments. I will cover the above in more detail as the campaign progresses.

A note regarding the air element of the campaign. Originally, I intended to play any air actions using the main rules in GQ3. However, on re-reading those rules I came across the campaign air rules which I had not paid any attention to in the past. These are a simplified set of rules and allows for a speedier play-through providing more time for the naval aspect. To avoid getting too bogged down, for most air actions I intend to use this version of the rules, but may occasionally revert to the full set as the mood takes me. I may even use Bag the Hun for air-to-air combat if I get really inspired!

Continued -

Turning to the campaign, I will go through the process as above.

TURN O (8th-15th December 1941)

1. General Intelligence

8th December – Japanese troops invaded Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaya & Philippines. That news was received by Admiral Tom Phillips in Singapore about the same time he received the news that Pearl Harbour had been attacked and 8 U.S. battleships had been sunk or disabled. Force Z, consisting of Prince of Wales, Repulse, Electra, Express, HMAS Vampire and Tenedos sailed from Singapore at 1710.

2. Japanese Theatre Events

Japanese air force raid Singapore airfields. This removes any possibility of 453 squadron coordinating with Force Z.

3. Allied/ABDA Theatre Events

None. This means HMS Tenedos will be detached from Force Z

4. Weather Forecast

+2 added to dice rolls when testing for weather at time of engagements. Basically, it means that the weather has worsened.

5. Japanese Command Decisions.

i. Western Attack Force (WAF) sorties a Patrol to Khota Bharu (Malaya)
ii WAF sorties a convoy to Khota Bharu

Both of these are obligatory.

6. Allied/ABDA Intelligence

None

7. Allied/ABDA Command Decisions

Force Z sortie a sweep from Singapore against the WAF

This is obligatory.

Planned Moves

8. Japanese Intelligence

11th Air Fleet reports contact! A reconnaissance plane has spotted and now shadowing Force Z. This provides a bonus for any aircraft or ship patrols attempting to contact/detect Force Z.

9. Engagements.

The first applicable phase is iv - Land Based Air (LBA) attacks.

A weather test results in a Force 5 and cloudy but does not impede any air action. The time is 1600 - 2000 (daylight).

The Japanese 22nd Air Flotilla of the 11th Air Fleet successfully makes contact with Force Z. The full bomber force is available with only the escorting fighters having to test for availability:

Yamada Kokutai -     3 Zero fighter flights (out of 8)
Bihoro Kokutai -       12 'Nell' bomber flights. (6 with torpedoes, 6 with heavy bombs)
Genzan Kokutai -      9 'Nell' bomber flights (3 with torps, 6 with heavy bombs)
Kanoya Kokutai -     9 'Betty' bomber flights (all with torps).

Force Z. On left is HMAS Vampire (a V class destroyer), central column from front, Electra (E class destroyer), Prince of Wales, Repulse. On right Express (E class destroyer).

The priority target for the Japanese, HMS Prince of Wales.

I apologise to those who would have liked to have seen Japanese aircraft swooping towards their targets, but they only arrived today and I have yet to paint them! Their presence on the tabletop would have made no difference to the outcome due to the nature of the rules and easily completed using imagination! 

The Japanese attack in 3 waves. The first being the 12 'Nell' bombers on a bombing run. The 2nd being the 9 'Nell' torpedo equipped bombers. The final wave, the 9 'Betty' torpedo bombers. With no CAP and no air threats, the Zeros are superfluous. 

If wishing to use more than one flight on a ship, each wave designates its primary target, secondary, third and so on. They test to ascertain how many attack the primary target. If any left over, they test to establish how many attack the secondary, etc. In the simplified rules, long range AA only can target level bombers. They can amass the AA of several ships in this instance. For low level attacks, such as torpedo bombers, close range AA can be used with the target only firing on the attacking aircraft.

As the first wave of 'Nell' bombers approached Force Z, all ships opened up with their long range AA. All missed! 7 of the bombers targeted the Prince of Wales with the other 5 the Repulse. Only one flight succeeded in straddling the Prince of Wales failing to do any damage.

So far so good for Force Z. 9 'Nell' torpedo bombers now made their run. All 9 successfully targeted the Prince of Wales! Using its close range AA the PoW damaged one aircraft forcing it to peel away. The 8 surviving aircraft launched their torpedoes. The PoW took evasive action which was enough to prevent any hits.

Force Z could not believe their luck, but it was not over yet. The 9 'Betty' torpedo bombers approached. 4 targeting the PoW and 5 the Repulse. The Repulse shot one plane down but the 4 remaining aircraft again failed in their attack! That just left the 4 attacking PoW. Close range AA shot down one aircraft and damaged another. With just 2 aircraft successfully launching their torpedo attack the PoW was confident. The torpedoes streaked towards the ship tracked by deck crew. Their concern grew as one track looked ominously accurate. As PoW attempted to evade it struck the ship aft disabling 'Y' turret and with damage to the hull (one hull box lost), reduced the maximum speed to 26 knots.

So, history did not repeat itself and Force Z survives, for now! 

Force Z now has an opportunity of attacking the invasion fleet but first it must avoid contact with the Japanese patrol and given the damage to the PoW, this could prove essential. This is phase v - Japanese Patrol v Allied/ABDA Sweeps. 

That will be the subject of the next post on this campaign.